HDH060 - Simply Sinister

HDH Macabre Monday Rules:

1. Create a dark and macabre SOMETHING (card, scrap page, altered item, whatever) that follows the specific Macabre Monday challenge given. Cutesy is fine, but creepy is better :)

2. You have until the following Sunday night @ 5pm central time to post your creation and

please leave a direct-link back here.

3. If you upload to any online galleries (S&S, PCP, SCS, etc.), please tag the title using HDH060.

4. Weekly giveaways! Some weeks will be loaded with loot, others not-so-much... but the thrill is in the win, right?! Some prizes shall be by random drawing, others hand picked... and I'm not telling you ahead of time :)

5. I'll be selecting a weekly Gruesome Twosome (my top two favorite creations) from all the players. At the end of every month these will be compiled and a Master of Macabre will be selected and will receive a little giftie from me... this could be stamp sets, handmade items, papers, halloweenie embellishments... you just never know.

Ok, my little pretties... your challenge this week:

Simply Sinister

Sinister, but in a clean & simple way... no layer upon layer of schtuff. Keep one main focus to your project, simple & few embellishments... and make it a little creepy at the same time :)






And, as you could probably guess, this week the lovely Betty Boo of Simply Betty Stamps is sponsoring this week's challenge!  The lucky Gruesome Twosome will each receive their choice of SIX digi images from Simply Betty!!  Thanks for offering up the goods, Betty :)

And check out what the Macabre Minions have in store for your viewing pleasure:

Macabre Mistress Lynx:

O.M.G... Lynx DOES do cute :)  Our resident darkside diva shows us her adorable side... love it!!

Creepy Cricut Cween Donna:

"Poor Yorick... I knew him well..."  :)  Love how the paper sets off the backdrop to this scene!

Digital Demon-ess Susan:

A bit demanding, are we?!  LOL!  Awesome job, Susan!

Fabulous work from my Macabre Minions... as usual! Creepy Glowbugg & I will be back later this week with our creations ;)

Ok... your turn... let's see what simply sinister projects you can create!

HDH059 - Dastardly Delicious Digis - a la Barb

Yeay!  I managed to finish a challenge before the next one started :)

This is Vampyress from Delicious Doodles... one of the Teri's earlier darkside images, and I must say that is still one of my absolute faves!

(sorry about the sucky photos, folks... I need a light tent or something)

Now y'all know that I'm not one that uses red a lot in my papercrafting.  Well, the last three cards I made this week... all use red.  Un-freakin'-believable.  I mean you really MUST use red with a vamp, right?

She's colored with Copics:  0, BV20, C00, N1, N4, N7, R24, R29, R37, R59

I did her hair with Stardust glitter pens in silver, clear & red.  The Scor-bug & white ink, MS edge punch & some grey satin ribbon finishes it off.

In real life, her gown looks awesome!  These photos just don't show it well, so you'll have to take my word for it ;)

So, I finished my challenge card... have you?  Perfect time to play AND have a chance to get some Delicious Doodles images for free :)  Just go HERE for details on how to play along with Macabre Monday!

Little Hop of Horrors & a Spooky Hallow sneak peek!

Welcome to the Little Hop of Horrors Halloween Blog Hop...

If you've arrived here from Nicole's blog, then you are on the right track!  Nicole has assembled quite the not so little gathering of goul-friends for a fiendishly fun hop, with the opportunity to win some awesome loot to boot!  Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this post for a few details :)

Now, it's not a secret that I AM a Halloween fan (uh, hello.... what's the name of this blog again?).  This time of year is my favorite:  cool autumn air, crunchy Fall leaves, pumpkins, and creepiness... what's not to love?!  Well, to start things off, I've created this no-frills, but frighteningly fun Halloween card using a couple of new digi's from Simply Betty Stamps that will be available starting tomorrow... sorry blood-suckers, not today :)

This is Damien & Spiderella.  I like to imagine Damien is a newly turned vampire whom by chance of fate comes upon Spiderella... a veteran vamp who's been around the block a time or two

(if you know what I'm sayin') :)

She's obviously trying to work her feminine wiles on a somewhat naive newbie vamp... does he fall for it?  Only the Shadow knows...

Digi images:  Damien & Spiderella (SBS)

Rubber stamp:  sentiment (Stamper's Anonymous)

Paper:  white cs (Neenah), Willoughby & black cs (TAC)

Ink:  Raw Sienna, Cognac, French Lilac & Noir Palettes (Stewart Superior)

Other:  Copic markers, Scor-Bug, misc. ribbon & trim

And now, for the goods!  Simply become one of my followers & leave me a comment and I'll giveaway a little sumpin' sumpin' to one lucky commenter :)  I don't know what it will be yet, but it will be something Halloweenie, so it will be worth the extra typing :)

Below is the list of sponsors & their awesome giveaways.  Be sure to get all of the details from Nicole's blog... she is the first & last blog to check and all of these prizes will be drawn from there after the Hop:

 

Simply Betty Stamps:  Set of 5 Halloween Digi’s

Tickled Pink Stamps:  Lil Lolita Halloween Digi’s

Tiddly Inks:  $10 Gift Voucher

Scrappy Moms Stamps:  Haunting we will Go stamp set

My Pink Stamper:  Stamp Set

The Greeting Farm:  2 Halloween Digis

Scrap Hut:  October 31^st Cricut Cartridge (North America Only)

Your next stop on this magic Horror ride, is Betty The Scrap Happy Witch!

AND if you want even more hopping to do tomorrow, start out at the Simply Betty Challenge blog for some more Spooky Hallow Halloweenieness :)  If you've come from Angela's blog and want to continue the Spooky Hallow Hop on October 3rd, your next stop is Cheri!
Happy Haunting!

New Simply Betty Release - Halloweenie Emos Release Day Blog Hop

Yeay!  It's here!  SBS Release Day Hop... if you have arrived here from Angela's blog, then you are on the right track... if not, head over to the SBS blog for all of the hop details, AND to learn how you can get a couple of the Halloweenie Emos in rubbah!

Now, on to today's bit of Halloweenie-ness!

 This is Lola the Mummy & Christian the Vamp.

 Lola reminds me of what I feel like in the morning before my coffee :)  In person, her hair looks super shiny... can't really tell here.

Christian is a bit cranky.  The sentiment inside this card should read:  "Stop touching me"... kinda like two siblings in the backseat on a road trip, right?

LOVE the moon... turned out pretty dimensional, no?

Ok, so now on to the rest of the Simply Betty Stamps Halloween Emos Blog Hop!

Your next stop is Calie's blog!

HDH055 - Elegantly Evil

HDH Macabre Monday Rules:
1. Create a dark and macabre SOMETHING (card, scrap page, altered item, whatever) that follows the specific Macabre Monday challenge given. Cutesy is fine, but creepy is better :)
2. You have until the following Sunday night @ 5pm central time to post your creation and please leave a direct-link back here.
3. If you upload to any online galleries (TACPCC, S&S, PCP, SCS, etc.), please tag the title using HDH055.
4. Weekly giveaways! Some weeks will be loaded with loot, others not-so-much... but the thrill is in the win, right?! Some prizes shall be by random drawing, others hand picked... and I'm not telling you ahead of time :)
5. I'll be selecting a weekly Gruesome Twosome (my top two favorite creations) from all the players. At the end of every month these will be compiled and a Master of Macabre will be selected and will receive a little giftie from me... this could be stamp sets, handmade items, papers, halloweenie embellishments... you just never know.

Ok, my little pretties... your challenge this week:

Elegantly Evil

You are to create a dark, Gothic, or Halloween page, project or card using evil imagery with a touch of elegance. Or maybe elegant imagery with a touch of evil :)

And check out what the Macabre Minions have in store for your viewing pleasure:

Macabre Mistress Lynx:

Such a beautiful vamp under a blood moon!  Fabulously dark my friend :)


Concoctor of Chaos, Creepy Glowbugg:

Awesome gargoyle photo... can't wait to read more about this, Glo!  And I'm jonesin' for that edge punch... I can't find it in any of the stores around here!

Creepy Cricut Cween Donna:

Me thinks this card has a story to tell as well... hmmmmm...

Digital Demon-ess Susan:

That's what she said.  :)  Doesn't that main panel look like glitter paper?!  Digital papers amaze me more and more.


Ok... you're up.  Time for all of you evil-doers to show us your elegant side!

Simply Betty's Victorian Beauties Release Blog Hop!

Hello everyone, and welcome to Simply Betty's Victorian Beauties Release Blog Hop with my fellow SBS DT members AND The Burtonesque Dolls DT, too!  If you've come by way of the Simply Betty Stamps blog, then you are on the right track :)  If not, please start there to find out a little more about this great new line of digi's!

One important note about this new line of images:  Betty has a goal of 100 sales for this digi release...  and out of those sales she going to give half of the money from the sales to the Ronald McDonald house.  Please be sure to read Betty's story about why this charity is so important on the SBS blog.  And now... on to the hop...

 This is James... isn't he just the most debonair?!  A little haughty, but then most men-of-means were a bit back in the day :)  And of course, being me, I decided that James should be a vampire :)

I am lovin' the layered edger punched cardstock... you can't tell very well, but there is a little Glimmer Mist sprayed over them.

Digi:  James (SBS)

Rubber Stamps (TAC):  Simply Divine, Bone Appetit

Paper:  Bazzill, TAC black & Neenah cardstocks, vintage velvet flocked wallpaper

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo, Glimmer Mist

Other:  EK Success & MS edger punches

Copics:  0, BV0000, BV20, E57, R24, R27, R39, RV14, V93, V95, V99, YR23, YR24

Now, who's the next stop?  None other than Catherine... pop by there and she'll let you know who's next in line!  And be sure to leave the love on all of the hop participants' blogs... you could win two, three, or even all six Victorian Beauties digi's!!

Fiendishly Fun Friday - Salem's Lot revisited...

Ok, was it just me, or did this mini-series / movie scare the holy bejeezus out of you as a kid?  That crazy looking vampire with those wicked knarly teeth (and I don't mean knarly in a GOOD way...)!  

Evidently I missed the remake with Rob Lowe... ummm... was it any good?

I also remember my sisters reading the book back in the day...

Go HERE for a movie & book summary.

Summer Fun Edition of My Kids Emo World Release Bloghop!

Yeay!  Here it is... Release Day :)  If you were just at Alicia's blog, you are on the right track!

If you haven't stopped at the

Simply Betty Stamps Blog

first, you need to start there!  Why?  For a chance to win the entire Summer Fun edition of My Kids Emo World!  Be sure to visit each of the SBS design team blogs & leave a little love... 

SIX people will win one new release image, and

ONE lucky person with get 'em all!

{muhuwah ahh ahh ahh ahhhh}

... uh yeah, that was my attempt at the evil, shifty eyed, greedy bad guy laugh... in case you didn't know :)

The contest ends Saturday night July 17th, so check the SBS blog for details.

And now... on to the the lovely Summer Betty!

Isn't she awesome?  For this card, I wanted Betty to be a vamp.  So instead of tanning herself by sunlight, she's getting a moon-tan :)  I added a little white lace Stickles to the moon & top of the umbrella as well as some little gray gems to Betty's suit, hair batty & umbrella.

Definitely one of my faves of the release... cute spiderweb sarong, strategically placed bat, and the webbie beach umbrella.  Me thinks she has a bit of a "come hither" look, no?  :)  And do you see the texture of the moon... me likey!

Digi:  Summer Betty

Paper:  Around the Block dp, Penelope & basic black cardstocks (TAC), Neenah cardstock

Ink:  Noir Palette

Other:  skully trim (JoAnn's), green webbie trim (May Arts?), Yellow Bicycle moon transparency, White Lace Stickles

Copics:  0, E000, E00, E09, E11, R32, V0000, V93, V95, V99, YR04, YR07, YR18

In addition to the six new Summer Fun My Kids Emo World digis, the original My Kids Emo World rubber stamps will also be released in digi form today... and that there will be lots of new release specials!

So, now that you've seen Summer Betty, your next stop is Catherine's blog for a look at Summer Lola!

Whoops! My bad...

... I TOTALLY freakin' forgot to share some of my favorite carved pumpkins!

I'll admit it, these are those fake hobby store pumpkins & the patterns are from those carving booklets that are aplenty around October.   

BUT I DID carve them myself... does that count?  I just couldn't bear having to take the many hours of carving a real pumpkin so intricately only to watch him rot away (although I REALLY do like how they look rotten!!).

The top one is a haunted house (hard to tell in this pic), spider next, and the bottom one was made with stencil shapes from Martha Stewart.

This one is really big and has three faces all "welded" together:  a screaming ghoul, a skelly/reeper, & Dracula on the right.  I had one of those blinking lights in the damn thing, so this was the best picture I could get... the three faces wrap over half-way around the pumpkin.

I just LOVE pumpkins... really I do.

Simply Betty Sketch Challenge!

Hey all you challenge fans!  Here's one for you:  the Simply Betty Stamps blog is hosting a sketch challenge that will run through July 29th (11:59pm Eastern time).  That's right... about three weeks, so there is PLENTY of time for you to try this baby out:

And guess what the prize is for winning this challenge?  One lucky winner will get to be a Guest Designer for Simply Betty Stamps in August!  Guest Designer means FREE images to play with... helloooo...  TOTALLY worth trying out the sketch, no?!

As soon as I saw the sketch, I knew I wanted to use Max & Li-Li!  Doesn't Max look like he wants to pet Li-Li?  Surely he wouldn't bite... well... maybe.  Since I printed these digi's prior to sizing them properly, I needed to figure out a way to make it work.  Hellooooooo forced perspective :)  You are my friend.  Doesn't it look like Max is standing in the background with Li-Li up front?  Simply by using a trapezoid instead of a rectangle.  Me likey.

Had I kept the rectangle shape, Li-Li would have appeared to be some crazy huge monstrous kitty... not that it would be a BAD thing :)

And did her eyes not come out freakin' awesome?  And what about her texture?  I know!  Copic blending solution, you are my friend, too :)  A scrap of an old washcloth and some solution, and Li-Li is all textured up.

Digi's:  Max & Li-Li (Simply Betty)

Rubber Stamp:  Spunky Sprite Girls (sentiment- TAC)

Paper:  Cougar white cardstock, Winchester cardstocks (TAC)

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo, Palette Burnt Umber

Other:  EK Success & MS border punches, Tim Holtz embossing folder, Scor-bug, Fancy Pants felt border, silver stardust gel pen

Copics:  0, BV20, BV23, E31, E35, E57, E59, V93, V95, V99, YR20, YR23, YR24

Don't forget to pop over to the SBS blog to see what the rest of the SBS Design Team created using the sketch (I can tell you, they are all awesome) and to link up your own creation for a chance to win!

HDH043 - Truebie or Not Truebie

HDH Macabre Monday Rules:
1. Create a dark and macabre SOMETHING (card, scrap page, altered item, whatever) that follows the specific Macabre Monday challenge given. Cutesy is fine, but creepy is better :)
2. You have until the following Sunday night @ 5pm central time to post your creation and please leave a direct-link back here.
3. If you upload to any online galleries (TACPCC, S&S, PCP, SCS, etc.), please tag the title using HDH043.
4. Weekly giveaways!  Some weeks will be loaded with loot, others not-so-much... but the thrill is in the win, right?!  Some prizes shall be by random drawing, others hand picked... and I'm not telling you ahead of time :)
5. I'll be selecting a weekly Gruesome Twosome (my top two favorite creations) from all the players. At the end of every month these will be compiled and a Master of Macabre will be selected. He/she will be asked to be a guest blogger for the following month, if they so wish, and receive a little giftie from me... this could be stamp sets, handmade items, papers, halloweenie embellishments... you just never know.

Ok, my little pretties... your challenge this week:

Truebie or Not Truebie

 THAT is the question.  You are to create a dark, Gothic, or Halloween page, project or card using inspiration from the HBO series True Blood.   Don't watch the show?  Then simply watch a few of the series trailers & episodes HERE!  What will it be... the Eric/ Sookie/ Bill dynamic?  Or maybe the southern setting of Bons Temps, Louisiana inspires you.  Then again, there is the old standby:  vampires.

Here's my take on the challenge!  I know... A:  it's actually done & B:  it's done on time :)
Though I made the image into a vampire with khaki hair, it reminded me a bit of Sookie.  Wistful and dreamy... who exactly is she thinking of?  Bill or Eric?

Like the flower?  Yeah, another tissue paper one... kinda looks like a mum, doesn't it?  I inked it with violet & black Glimmer Mists.  It's wonderfully sparkly in person... subtle.

Stamps:  Dreaming Gothic Lady (Stamp It Crazy), Label Lingo (TAC hostess set)
Paper:  white ultrasmooth, black (TAC) & Bazzil cardstocks
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo, Glimmer Mist
Other:  Amelia ribbon (TAC), Scor-Bug, tissue paper, red Stardust gel pen
Copics:  0, BV0000, BV20, YG03, YG91, V95, G24, YR23

Your turn for a little True Blood!  I know there must be a couple of Truebies that follow this blog... if not, maybe we'll create some ;)

A mere 46 hours left...

... until True Blood season 3!!!

Bite me, Eric... 

... no, really, bite me.

:)

Fiendishly Fun Friday!

I've got a three-fer!  I knew I had to finish a card for my own HDH039 challenge (duh), but then the Burtonesque Dolls & Busy Beauties Boutique teamed up with a sketch, and THEN the Burtonesque Dolls also had their third challenge for using skulls & black flowers!

HDH039:  I was seriously stumped with this one, people.  I have NO doctor/nurse type images.  None.  Nada.  Nothing even remotely close.  Well, a month or two ago I bought this awesome vampyre image from Stamp It Crazy that hadn't seen any ink yet {GASP!!!}

Isn't she great?!  Her fiendish smile reminded me of what Oz had mentioned about nurses drawing blood ;)  I drew a little nurse's cap, though I know I've never seen a nurse outfit like this ;)  Sexy and sinister, no?

BD & BBB:  I'm not-so-hot with sketches.  I never seem to stick to them much, but I think you can still tell I used it :)  I created the black poofy flower from tissue paper, scrunched it up, spritzed with Glimmer Mist, and zapped it with the heat gun.  The heat caused it to get even more funky... me loves it.

Stamps:  HAL93 Vampress (Stamp It Crazy), Punk Princess (retired TAC)

Paper:  old dp from stash, Neenah, Bazzill, DCWV & black cardstocks, tissue paper

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo, Black Gold Glimmer Mist

Other:  Nesties, circle punches, MS web punch, Sizzix flower die, foam tape, Micron pen

Copics:  0, RV10, RV13, RV14, BG02, BG05, BG07, BV20, V99, R29

What do you think?

26 days and counting...

... until True Blood starts up again!

Eric, I think I love you.

Macabre Monday #026 - Vampy Vampyress

HDH Macabre Monday Rules:
1. Create a Halloweenie SOMETHING (card, scrap page, altered item, whatever) that follows the specific Macabre Monday challenge given. Cutesy is fine, but creepy is better :)
2. You have until the following Sunday night @ 5pm central time to post your creation and please leave a direct-link back here.
3. If you upload to any online galleries (TACPCC, S&S, PCP, SCS, etc.), please tag the title using HDH026.
4. Weekly giveaways!  Some weeks will be loaded with loot, others not-so-much... but the thrill is in the win, right?!  Some prizes shall be by random drawing, others hand picked... and I'm not telling you ahead of time :)
5. I'll be selecting a weekly Gruesome Twosome (my top two favorite creations) from all the players. At the end of every month these will be compiled and a Master of Macabre will be selected. He/she will be asked to be a guest blogger for the following month, if they so wish, and receive a little giftie from me... this could be stamp sets, handmade items, papers, halloweenie embellishments... you just never know.

Ok, my little pretties... your challenge this week:

Vampy Vampyress

 You are to create a dark, Gothic, or Halloween page, project or card using an image of a vampyre or vampyress.  Decrepit or sexy, mysterious or "in your face"...  let's see those fanged fiends!

 And look, can you believe I finished my card on time?!  I know, I've TOTALLY been slacking as of late, but since I've been working full time again, I'm mojo-less after work :(  What's good is that I just received a fresh supply of creepy-cool images from Stamp It Crazy!  I LOVE happy mail!

I altered a fairy image to create this vampyress... I blackened the eyes & then added fangs with a white gel pen.  The original image is so pretty, put I needed a little bit of vamp in there :)

Stamps:  fairy FY38 (Stamp It Crazy), Mini-bet (TAC), Creative Inspiration (retire TAC)

Paper:  White UltraSmooth & DCWV cardstocks, and black Bazzill

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo, New Canvas & Toile Pink Palettes

Other:  Icicle Stickles, Scor-bug, Mini Attacher (Tim Holtz), lace fabric, Copic markers

I am trying to get the hang of those Copics still... luckily I'll be getting Copic certified on Sunday the 21st!  Can't wait :)  I did pretty good on the wings, but now you can't tell since I coated them in glitter!

Barb from Stamp It Crazy has offered up this fairy image for our prize winner this week!  So let's get Vampy, people!!