26 days and counting...

... until True Blood starts up again!

Eric, I think I love you.

HDH039 - Devious Doctors & Fiendish Florence Nightingales

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 HDH039.
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:

Devious Doctors & Fiendish Florence Nightingales

 You are to create a dark, Gothic, or Halloween page, project or card using images and/or sentiments of demented doctors, MD's of mayhem, nasty nurses, or psychotic psychiatrists.   

This fabulous challenge has been created by one of our very own Gruesome Twosome Mistresses, OZ!  After a recent up close and personal visit, she has a wonderful outlook on our medical people :)  From Oz:   

"Devious Doctors and Nasty Nurses!!!   That smirk just before they stick that HUGE A$$ED needle in your arm could scare ya to death iffin the bed pan don't kill ya first!!"

I, being the loser that I am, have NOT done the challenge yet!  And I don't have ANY idea what to create... I KNOW I don't have any Dr./Nurse stuff... hmmmmm... 

What do you think...  

are you up for the challenge?!

Master of the Macabre... times two...

I cannot freakin' believe this... do you realize that I didn't select a March Master of the Macabre?!!  I knew I was behind for April, but daaaaaammmmnnnn!!!!

The Gruesome Twosome list from which I will draw a name for Master of the Macabre for March 2010 (from HDH028-HDH031 challenges):
1.  Susan
2.  Creepy Glowbugg
3.  Tracey
4.  Lynx
5.  Terry EO
6.  Alex
7.  Paula
8.  SIC Barb

{drum roll}

The Master of Macabre for March 2010 is:  Creepy Glowbugg!!!  Grab your Master of the Macabre badge from the sidebar, and please email me with your mailing address so I can send out your winnings :)

The Gruesome Twosome list from which I will draw a name for Master of the Macabre for April 2010 (from HDH032-HDH036 challenges):
1.  Renee
2.  Linda in PA
3.  Dragon
4.  lachsekatze
5.  Renee
6.  Sarah
7.  Gabby
8.  Donna
9.  Margie
10.  Suzi
11.  Donna


{drum roll}

The Master of Macabre for April 2010 is:  Renee!!!  Grab your Master of the Macabre badge from the sidebar, and please email me with your mailing address so I can send out your winnings :)

Now then, I guess I'm going to have rely on you guys to remind me when it's time for May's MM selection!  If I haven't posted it by 8pm (central time) on June 5th, someone needs to yell at me... seriously... AND demand a prize for having to act as my assistant :)

Thanks so much for everyone's participation!  Our followers are growing every week... we like that!  Because we all really need a little bit of dark to balance out the cute & cuddly in our lives :)  Keep the Eerie Inspiration comin', guys!!

Gruesome Twosomes and other various fabulous people...

Once again, I'm behind in announcing winners... my bad!

And I think I've said this before, but I seriously believe that Lynx & Oz should just be their own Gruesome Twosome every week.  I'm always gravitating to their work, so from here on out, you two shall be the weekly GT Mistresses.  Don't worry... you'll still be in the prize drawings ;)


HDH034 - Grim Gift Boxes Gruesome Twosome:  Renee for her fabulous "At Death's Door" box, and to Sarah, for her fabulous skull & scorpion purse box.  Great job, ladies!!!  Grab your GT badges from the sidebar and linky back here!

HDH034 prize winner, whom will receive a fun prize pack from me is:  Alex!  Woo hoo!  Please email me your mailing address so that I can mail out your goodies!

And we can't forget our GT Mistresses:  Lynx & Oz... fabulousness as usual, ladies!


HDH035 - Walking Dead Divas Gruesome Twosome:  Gabby for her fabulous Newt zombie girl (those eyes!), Donna for her boney party girl, and Margie for her dumpy princess zombie.  Grab the Gruesome Twosome badge from my sidebar and link back here, please!!!  Ok... so this time it's a Gruesome Threesome (ooooh, that sounds kinda... um... yeah whatever), I just couldn't whittle it down to two :)

HDH035 prize winner, whom will receive the awesome Stamp It Crazy Zombie Girl w/ doll image I used for my challenge card is:  Gabby!  Please email me your mailing address so that I can forward that on to Barb at Stamp It Crazy... thanks so much for offering up the prize, Barb!

And more from our GT Mistresses:  Lynx & Oz... love it, ladies!  That paper doll zombie idea from Oz is so twisted :)


HDH036 - Music Mayhem Gruesome Twosome:  Suzi for showing us Anya in a whole new bloody light, and to Donna (again) for her fabulous "face in a jar" (so wonderfully twisted).  Great job, ladies!!!  Grab your GT badges from the sidebar and linky back here!  If I could have chosen a third, it would have been Creepy Glowbugg for her fantabulous take on Cold Ethyl :)

HDH036 prize winner, whom will receive a fun prize pack from me is:  Donna!  Woo hoo!  Please email me your mailing address so that I can mail out your goodies!


HDH037 - Ode to the Bruise Gruesome Twosome:  Creepy Glowbugg for her three bruised brothers... fabulous shiners, Creepy!  And Sarah E. for her very literal take on the challenge (uh, ewwww!).  Grab the Gruesome Twosome badge from my sidebar and link back here, please!!!

HDH037 prize winner, whom will receive the awesome Stamp It Crazy  cute witch w/broom image I used for my challenge card is:  Lynx!  It may be a little on the cute side for Lynx, but I hope you like it!  Please email me your mailing address so that I can forward that on to Barb at Stamp It Crazy... thanks so much for offering up the prize, Barb!

And of course our GT Mistresses:  Lynx & Oz & Oz... great work, ladies!  Lynx: SERIOUSLY sick wonderful beyond awesome creation for this... I'm just sayin'.  Let me know if you would like to find a new home for it... I would be MORE than happy to take it off your hands :)


I'm hoping to get time to select April's Master of the Macabre later today!  Stay tuned!

Congratulations everyone!  I hope to see lots of participation in this week's challenge!!  Barb at Stamp It Crazy has an AWESOME voodoo doll now... he is totally on my gonna-get list!

HDH038 - Voodoo Witchery

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 HDH038.
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:

Voodoo Witchery

 You are to create a dark, Gothic, or Halloween page, project or card using images and/or sentiments of the voodoo persuasion.  Witch doctors, medicine men, deep south voodoo... or in my case:  a magical Rasta Voodoo Elfwitch :)  Check it:

I was going to color the skin of this fairy green, as is my usual tendency with fairies, but I had already stamped her on green cardstock.  So in order to create shadows and depth, I used a couple of violet-based colors... they created this beautiful plum-cocoa skin color!

You can barely see her pointy ears amongst her dreads, but they are there!  I used the Copic blender to remove color from her eye area... looks like green eyeshadow, no?  The moon is made from kraft packing paper (like grocery sacks) and sponged with ink.

Dig the awesome shape of this card front!!  It's one of Tim Holtz's open edge dies.  Me likey A LOT!  I added a copper orange piece to the back of the card so the funky edge would really show.

Stamps:  Elfwood w/ Dredlocks (Stamp It Crazy), sentiment (Viva Las Vegas)
Paper:  black (TAC), green & orange (Bazzill) cardstocks, and kraft packing paper
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo, Burnt Sienna & Orangerie Palettes
Other:  white gel pen, EK Success edger punch, Tim Holtz die, ribbon (HL)
Copics:  0, V95, V99, YR04, YR18, YR23, YR24, RV13, G85

Did I mention that this awesome image is up for grabs this week?  Yep!  Barb over at Stamp It Crazy, being the awesome person that she is, has offered up this rubber stamp!!  Thanks, Barb!!

So, let's see some voodoo magic, mon!  Are juju up for the challenge?!!  ;)

HDH037 Bruiser and the Killer Dustbunnies...

Yeay... got my card done, and only a day late :)  I went for a touch of the cute on this one guys... hopefully your not too disappointed... I'm sure Poot is happier with this one ;)  I used white in addition to the purple, teal, black & yellow requirements, but oh well!

This awesome image is from Stamp It Crazy... too darn cute, right... I colored her with Copics.  Well, when I first got this stamp, I was trying to figure out what that thing was on her broom handle (the yellow thing).  And then it hit me like a bus... it must be a huge dust bunny, right?!  I know they are prevalent around here... only laced with dog hair :)

The outside sentiment is from Bugawumps, and on the inside, the card says:

"...like the Killer Dustbunnies under your bed."

Oh!  And see that fan-freakin'-tastic black holey trim?  That is a bit of yumminess from Creepy Glowbugg... LOVE IT!  Thanks so much... you're pretty sweet... in an off-the-wall, pseudo creepy kinda way :)

The web stamp is Inkadinkado & was stamped in VersaMark, the spider is from a set gifted to me from a fellow TAC demo, Seleise... thanks, man, you are sealin' awesome.  The teal cardstock is something random, purple is DCWV, and the black, white, & yellow are all from TAC. 

I know I'm behind in announcing a couple of past winners... I'm hoping to get to it tomorrow since I'm "working" from home  :)

Macabre Monday #037 - Ode to the Bruise

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 HDH037.
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:

Ode to the Bruise

 You are to create a dark, Gothic, or Halloween page, project or card using colors of those painful reminders of the flesh: bruises... purple, teal, yellow & black.  Yeah, I know... pretty eff'd up, but that's just how I roll.  I don't have my entry done yet, but it is started!  I'll post in a day or two :)  

Can't wait to see what y'all create!

Dire Warning...

Ok, I'll admit it... this one is pretty creepy :)  I mean it must be... Poot (Eric) threatened to have me committed last night ;)  He kept muttering to the babies (four-legged with fur):  "mommy is psycho... "

muhuwah ahhh ahh ahh ahhhhhhhhhh

Talk about fabulous therapy.  I'm tellin' ya'... give me something to color & an edge distresser and I am happy :)  See?

And have you tried Copics on kraft cardstock... it is so yummy.  You get a completely different shade of color, and it's all muted.  Fan-tab-u-lous-ness, I'm just sayin'.  It's great for darker cards, so you don't end up with a stark white image panel.  Me likey... a lot.

Stamps:  Winter (Stampotique), sentiment (River City Rubberworks), skull (Bombshell)

Paper:  basic brown, scarlet, kraft cardstocks (TAC), Bazzill green

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo, Moulin Rouge & Burnt Umber Palettes

Other:  EK Success edger punch, Scor-bug, Crystal Lacquer

Copics:  0, YR04, YR18, R29, E57, V99, G21, G85, BG72, BG78, BV23

I added a bit-o-lacquer to his heart... couldn't get a good shot of it, so you'll have to trust me ;)  And I went a little Scor-bug happy, but the texture worked perfect, me thinks. 

What do you think... are you scared?  :)

Macabre Monday #036 - Macabre Monday Music Mayhem

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 HDH036.
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:

Macabre Monday Music Mayhem

 You are to create a dark, Gothic, or Halloween page, project or card using images/sentiments inspired by a particular song!!  That's right.  It doesn't have to be your favorite song, just a song that inspires something a little dark, a little twisted, a little "um, yeah... ok... who in the Hell are you going to send THAT card to?" kind of work :)

{trumpets sounding} Doot doo doo dooooooo... here's mine:

Stamps:  Angel (Stampotique), Victorian Elements (TAC), Funny Farm Phrases (TAC)
Paper:  white ultrasmooth, black, scarlet, & Penelope cardstocks (TAC)
Ink:  Noir, Orangerie & Burnt Sienna Palettes, Memento Tuxedo, Moonlight Brilliance
Other:  sheer ribbon (HL), goo punch (MS)
Copics:  0, YR04, YR18, R02, R24, R29, E00, E02, E11, V99

Can you guess what song I used?  Come on...
...
...
Ok, here's a hint:  it's by The Cult.

Yep!  From 1989:  Fire Woman

"Fire woman, yeah

Shake, shake, shake, shake it, yeah

Wound up, can't sleep, can't do anything right, little honey
Oh, since I set my eyes on you
I tell you the truth
T-t-t-t-twistin' like a flame in a slow dance, baby
You're driving me crazy
Come on, little honey
Come on now

Fire
Smoke, she is a rising fire, yeah
Smoke on the horizon, well
Fire
Smoke, she is a rising fire
Oh, smokestack lightning
Smokestack lightning

Well, shake it up, you're to blame, got me swayin' little honey
My heart's a ball of burnin' flame
Oh, yes it is
Trancing like a cat on a hot tin shack
Lord, have mercy
Come on little sister
Come on and shake it

Fire
Smoke, she is a rising fire
Oh, smoke on the horizon, yeah
Fire
Smoke, she is a rising fire
Oh, smokestack lightning, baby

I was thinking what I've been missing
I'll tell you truthfully, well
She's coming close now
Oh, I can feel her
She's getting close to me
And I never, yeah

Fire
Smoke, she is a rising fire
Oh, smoke on the horizon
Fire
Smoke, she is a rising, rising, rising fire
Smokestack lightning
A-j-j-j...

Burnin' out
And shake it baby
Gotta have money

Stand down in front of me
Say, san stam bye to me
Say, san stam bye to me, yeah

Fire woman, you're to blame..."

 Yeah, it's kinda old... I mean that was the year I graduated high school, dude.  :)
So what tune has been playing in YOUR head lately?

A little not-so-creepy post...

... but I used an image from one of my FAVORITE creepy stamp sources, so that counts, right?  I do have plans to creep this one out eventually, but I thought I'd go a little sassy traditional for the first time ;)

Is her dress not freakin' awesome?  These photos kind of wash out the color... she looks really freakin' pale!  She looks better IRL... I need to get my camera manual out:  I don't even know what all the buttons on my camera do ;)

I thought the sentiment was fitting for the "come hither" look on her face and in her body language, right?

Stamps:  Tina (Stamp It Crazy), Spunky Sprite Boys (TAC), Swirlies (TAC)

Paper:  white ultrasmooth, black, & DCWV green cardstocks (TAC)

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo, VersaMark

Other:  Transcendence EP, ribbon (HL), misc. rhinestones, Scor-bug, silver glitter pen

Copics:  0, E000, E11, E57, YR23, V01, V04, V06, V09

I guess I need to figure out what next week's challenge is going to be instead of just playing... shouldn't I?!

Sassy Perl

Ok, so I'm a little behind in the Stampotique Designers Challenge, but I DID do it :)  The challenge was to make a girly-girl project.  Soooooo... here's Sassy Perl:  

I LOVE her.  Though the color palette isn't too terribly girly, I thought the big sheer bow & the flower helped :)  And how do you like the sentiment?  I KNOW!  How many times have I said this out loud?!  I picked it up at a stamp convention, so I can't remember the company.  Sorry.

Stamps:  Perl (Stampotique), unknown sentiment

Cardstock:  Bazzill, DCWV purple, & white Ultra Smooth (TAC)

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo

Other:  EK Success edger punches, Yellow Scrapper's Floss, Buttons & Blossoms (MM), ribbon (HL)

Copics:  0, BG72, BG78, V93, V95, YR20, YR23, YR24, YR02, YR18, E53

Her hair & eyeshadow turned out pretty cool.  Crossing my fingers to get to play some more this weekend!

A fun new Perpetual Blog Hop...

Check this out... I found it over at Mel's, and the originator of this Hop is HERE at Clips-n-Cuts.  Vicky was celebrating her 100th blog post and started this fun ongoing blog hop of papercrafters.  So join in the fun... it super easy:

Macabre Monday #035 - Walking Dead Divas

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 HDH035.
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:

Walking Dead Divas

 You are to create a dark, Gothic, or Halloween page, project or card using images/sentiments of o-so-girly zombies!!  Blingy, pink, flowery (or not)... let's see those ladies of the day & night... 

uh... I meant that in a totally non-hooker type of way ;)

And lookie!  I finished mine early :)  Yeay!  This background was made with one of the Impressabilities plates.  After embossing it with my Big Shot, I dragged my Belle Rose & Noir Palette pads across the top to pick up these lover-ly crescent moon shapes!  Sahweeeet!  I highlighted her hair and metal studs with a Stardust Clear glitter pen... for just a little sumpin' sumpin'.

I colored her with Prismacolors and mineral oil with blending stumps.  The fabulous image?  Yeah, it's another from Stamp It Crazy... Zombie Girl with Doll... me likey alot :)  AND, it just so happens, that this stamp will be the prize this week!  Yeay!!  Who wouldn't want this?!  That's what I thought.  

So, let's see those decrepit divas of the flesh eating variety this week... yum!

A Sweet Blogger award...

... yeah, sweet... like me :)  {finger poised over lips to avoid hurling incident}

LOL!  I know, kinda funny, right... me... sweet...  Well, at least I have Cheryl @ The InkTrap snowed :)  Thanks so much, Cheryl... I'm soooo glad you stalk me ;)  

Now I must pass this on to 10 others.  And let me just say that there are FAR MORE than 10 that deserve this award.  So, I have decided to number my favs that are either sweet people or that have sahweet talent {or both :)} and have fate select 10 (well, if you consider Random.org fate)  ;)  Except number one... I picked myself :)

 1.    Laurie @ Soapbox Creations, my WOSFF (web-o-sphere-friend-forever)

2.  Alison @ 21st Century Pillowbook

3.  Angela @ Artistic Detours

4.  Michelle @ Creative Journey

5.  Mel @ Mel Stampz (has the most awesome tutorials ever!)

6.  Oz @ WoodInk (GT Mistress)

7.  Alex @ Paper and String

8.  Melisa @ Art From My Heart

9.  Lynx @ BlackDragon's Crafts (GT Mistress)

10.  Suzanne @ Other Lovelies

If y'all haven't been to Cheryl's blog, you should check it out... she is fan-freakin-tastic with the Copics and her cards have so many wonderful details.  Thanks again, Cheryl!

Blog candy alert!

If you haven't gone over to Stamp It Crazy's blog and become a follower, please get it in gear and do it!!!  For every 50 followers she gets, she will give away 50 rubber stamps!!  Yes, you read that correctly.  She needs 24 more before she'll draw a winner this time, and then another 50 and she'll do it again!

Gruesome Twosomes and other various awesome people...

Once again, I'm behind in announcing winners... my bad!

And I think I've said this before, but I seriously believe that Lynx & Oz should just be their own Gruesome Twosome every week.  I'm always gravitating to their work, so from here on out, you two shall be the weekly GT Mistresses.  Don't worry... you'll still be in the prize drawings ;)


HDH032 - Somber Shakespeare Gruesome Twosome:  Renee for her dark lady w/ Yorrick, and to Linda in PA, for her withered Cleopatra.  Great job, ladies!!!  Grab your GT badges from the sidebar and linky back here!

HDH032 prize winner, whom will receive the awesome Stamp It Crazy Girl with Skull image I used for my challenge card is:  Sarah!  Please email me your mailing address so that I can forward that on to Barb at Stamp It Crazy... thanks so much for offering up the prize, Barb!

HDH033 - Freaker's Free for All Gruesome Twosome:  Dragon for her beautifully dark collage piece, and lachsekatze for her awesome hand-drawn image.  Grab the Gruesome Twosome badge from my sidebar and link back here, please!!!

And Lynx's entry was so fantastic... I love how you layer images... so hauntingly beautiful!

HDH033 prize winner, whom will receive a fun prize pack from me is:  Trina!  How lucky are you... winning a prize the first time playing!  Please email me your mailing address so that I can mail out your goodies!

Congratulations everyone! 

Macabre Monday #034 - Grim Gift Boxes

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 HDH034.
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:

Grim Gift Boxes

 You are to create a dark, Gothic, or Halloween themed box perfect for housing a little giftie of some kind.  Stipulation:  you must use at least one flower!!  Stamped image, digi, paper, or a real live, dead, dried number... as long as it's a flower :)

I was away this weekend at a TAC demonstrator gathering (The Angel Company rubber stamps) and one of the late night challenges was to take an empty card box and create something with the box of paper scraps they had.  How fun was this?!  It was the kind of box with a clear plastic lid, and their scraps were awesome.  This is what I created:

The bit of green that is peeking between the weaves is actually on the inside of the lid.

The large flower was made from three scallop circles, and the little flower was made with six flower punches.  Everything is crumpled & distressed.

I also decorated the inside.  I'm thinking this would be perfect for one of the milestone birthdays when everything is supposed to be black... like the big 40 :)

Stamps:  TAC (can't remember which set... I was sleep deprived & brain dead at the time)

Paper:  More Mimi dp & black cardstock

Ink:  Palette Noir

Other:  black paint (Plaid), scallop circle & flower punches (Marvy), misc. black brads & card box

Ok... your turn... what great little grim gift box can you create?!

I couldn't take it....

... all of that rubber... sitting there... staring at me... mocking me... I cracked.

Ta da!  It was so worth it... ya' know... not getting some of the non-fun stuff done that I really need to get done :)  Isn't she awesome?!  This is one of the Goddess stamps from Elementals from Smeared Ink... me likey alot.  I almost started with regular skin tones and thought better of it... I'm so glad.  I think I'll have to buy refill ink for my Copic markers soon, but man I had fun.

I added Crystal Lacquer on the water drop tattoos, eyes & lips... o-so-shiney :)  I seriously tried to get a decent photo, but I'm telling you right now the skin shading looks way better in person.

One thing I might do next time is mask off the inked cheek area... I HAVE been know to perform stamp surgery before... cutting out elements or snipping them apart... but I'm thinking Terra might hex me if I did that :)  AND this is such a lover-ly stamp image... maybe I'd better stick to masking :)

And just so you know, I've NEVER seen a stamp sheet of rubber so damn thick before!  It is unbelievable... I'm just sayin'.  Lil' Grumpies is on my list, but I must wait until next month... dammit.

Macabre Monday #033 - Freaker's Free-for-All

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 HDH033.
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:

Freaker's Free-for-All

 You are to create a dark, Gothic, or Halloween page, project or card using whatever the hell ya' want!!  That's right, baby... a true free-for-all... no rules... no suggestions... no limits :)  I can't wait to see the variety of entries this week... they should be off the hook!

I probably won't get to mine this week, dammit... I've got a TON of stuff to do... and ya' wanna know what sucks even worse?  Lookie at what came in the mail on Friday:

Yeah, that's right... my order from Stampotique!  AND guess what else showed up...

My awesome winnings from Smeared Ink!  I know!  

So you are wondering what the sucky part is, right?  Well, I don't get to play with any of these yet :(  waaahhhhhhh 

Far too much to do with little time to do it... hmmm... maybe I should call in sick...

April Fool's Day Smeared and Smudged Member Blog Hop

Happy April Fool's Day!  Is that the proper greeting?  I guess I've never really thought about it :)  Well, at any rate, today will be hoppin'... Blog Hoppin' that is!  The Smeared and Smudged online community is having a blog hop that is sure to be full of surprises... I'm not telling about ALL of the surprises... you'll just have to find out for yourself

{muhu whah ahhh ahhh ahhh ahhhhhhhhhhhh}

My project, however has no surprises... I was mojo-less for that part, so my sad little fairy must do.  I brayered & sponged directly on the card base for this one... the only additional layer is the fairy herself :)  She is so beautifully sad, don't you think?

I colored her with Copics and probably should have gone a little more dark with her to fit into the rest of the scene, but I kind of like how she is this bright little thing standing out in the middle of a dark evening.  I used a three-color feathering technique for her gown... it looks really good in person.

Stamps:  Sad Elfwood Fairy (Stamp It Crazy), tree (Tim Holtz), Edge Designs (TAC), Trendy Greetings (TAC), Fresh Air Favorites (retired TAC)

Paper:  premium white & white ultra smooth cardstocks

Ink:  Violete, Starry Night, Iris, Jardin Moss, Water Lily Green, Raw Sienna, Cognac, & Noir Palettes, Memento Tuxedo, Onyx VersaFine

Other:  Copic markers, foam tape

And to see if you actually read all of this stuff, I'm going to be offering up a little surprise of my own... be sure to leave a comment on this post, and I'll draw a name on Thursday, April 8th after 5pm.  Now, keep in mind that this IS April Fool's Day, so the little surprise you get in the mail MIGHT be new, used, shiny, ready for the trash bin... you just don't know!  It might be dark or cute or something in between, but I'm not telling.  Sucka!

Have fun hopping through all the blogs to see the great variety and talent that Smeared and Smudged members have to offer!!!  It is such a fun community of stampers, and if you like things a little on the dark side or out of the norm, it's definitely the place to gather!  These stampers are really fun group... now, go and check them out for yourself and be sure to leave the love!

Alison
Kelli
Meredith
Michelle
Kathi
Kim
Lisa
Danielle
Alex
Jean

Monica
Sarah
Erica

Black Dragon

Kymberly

Steph

Lady Brayton

Barb ***this is me!***

Terra