HDH116 - Chic Freaks

*Please see the sidebar for HDH Macabre Monday Rules*

(Note: entries not following the guidelines are not eligible for prizes or badges)

Ok, macabre fans... your challenge this week:

HDH116
"Chic Freaks"

You are to create a dark, Gothic, or Halloween-based art piece

that includes a chic freak or a freakishly chic theme. Get your freak on... in a chic way.

Wasn't there a song from the 70's, "Le Freak" by Chic?  Yes... yes there was.  HERE is the proof.  Sorry, tangent... something shiny.  This song has absolutely nothing to do with this challenge.  You were just given a glimpse into the mind of The Mistress... scarier than any horror movie, huh?
ANYWAY...

Our awesome HDH stalkers are in for a treat this week, because we are being sponsored by:

http://www.stampotique.com/

Home of the awesomeness that IS Daniel Torrente's art stamps!  Now don't get us wrong, there are some other fantastic stamps at Stampotique, but there is a special little dark spot in our hearts here at HDH that is reserved for Torrente images :)

Here is a little bit about Stampotique:

"STAMPOTIQUE Fine Art Stamps began June 1, 1996, in Phoenix, Arizona, out of the love for rubber stamping and papercrafting. We began as a fine art rubber stamp store and in January 2000, began manufacturing our own rubber stamps. We now ship all over the world, although remaining a ‘mom and pop’ business so that we can still offer full attention to each and every order.
On November 17, 2007, the retail store closed its doors in order to allow us to concentrate on our growing website, both retail and wholesale.
We hope you will find our site inspirational and continue to revisit at your leisure. Our intention is to continuously update with new images, new samples and all the latest and greatest ‘must haves’ of the industry."

Stampotique has quite generously sponsored this week's challenge with a $30 gift certificate to their online store!!  Makes me wish I was able to participate in the challenge myself ;)

Check out what the Macabre Minions have created for your viewing pleasure:

Sultana of the Sinister Lynx:

Creepy Cricut Cween Donna:

Agent of the Abominable Andrea:
 

Our Devious Digital Demoness Susan

is still out with a few broken bones... send her a little healing vibe, would ya'?

Temptress of Terror Teri:

Teri is doin' her own thing today... so be sure to check her blog for something fab!

Imp of Insanity Ike:

Cadaverous Concoctor of Chaos Creepy Glowbugg:

will post on Wretched Wednesday, so tune in!

And I,
The Masterful Mistress of the Macabre
will be posting my bit o' freakishness later this week!
Now, let's see you Get your Freak on... in a chic way.

Got Goth Gruesome Twosome

We had a fabulous amount of superbly gothic entries for this challenge it was hard to break it down to just two but without further ado, the gruesome twosome for the Got Goth challenge are:

I don't do straight

and

Crom's Cubby Hole

Congratulations to both of you.  Grab the GT badge and display it for all to see you have a darker side.

Wretched Wednesday - Metal Mania

I do realize today is Thursday, and it's almost over.

Life really gets in the way and throws a temper tantrum
sometimes.
This is one of those times.

This week's Haunted Design House challenge is

Metal Mania!!

Use metal or something metal-like on your project.

I went literal and used metal embellishments for this one.

I finally used the bat Nesties that I just had to have well over

a year ago. I die cut some cool black leather-like paper and

then layered a smaller bat cut from metal mesh on top.

I used staples to adhere the mesh and then covered them with

my main image.

I layered up a few die cut tags and then stamped the sentiment

using a Paper Make-Up stamp. I also destashed this weird

metal bat-like brad. It works, I guess.

I used this great Jasmine Becket-Griffith image called,

Bat Wings.

I also managed to add Stickles to almost everything to make it

all sparkly. Sparkles make me happy.

You still have plenty of time (until Sunday at 5PM CST) to get

something metal together and join us at HDH for this week's challenge.

You know you wanna play.... 

  

Macabre Monday HDH115 - Metal Mania

*Please see the sidebar for HDH Macabre Monday Rules*

(Note: entries not following the guidelines are not eligible for prizes or badges)

Well, wasn't that a nice way to kick off the New Year?
It was great to see all the usual suspects and some
fresh meat as well.
We had quite a few entries for our "Got Goth?" challenge
and CreepyG will announce the Gruesome Twosome
on Wretched Wednesday's post.
...

Okay Macabre fans,.... your challenge this week is:

HDH115
"Metal Mania"

Giger's "Birth Machine"

You are to create a dark, Gothic, or Halloween-based art piece

that uses, includes, or depicts metal in some way. 
You can go very literal with metal embellishments or metallic papers.
Or you can use the Metal music genre for your muse, or maybe some
industrial H.R. Giger type stuff.
Make it dark if you dare!!
We like things a bit more on the spooky side here in 'da house!  

Check out what the Macabre Minions
 have created for your viewing pleasure:

Sultana of the Sinister Lynx:

Pure gorgeousness.

Lynx does nothing half way!

Agent of the Abominable Andrea:

No one does 3D mixed media paintings like Andrea!

LOVE the use of the real key in this one titled,

"The Dungeon Keeper".

Our Devious Digital Demoness Susan

is still out , but is hopefully healing up nicely. 
We miss you Susan! The Mistress makes up split up your chores. 

Temptress of Terror Teri:


Well, well, well.
Look who else is quite the jeweler in the Dungeon!
Beautifully crafted necklace Teri! 

Imp of Insanity Ike:



Metallic elegance if ever there was such a creature!
Gorgeous corset image and then the little creep inside
brings it back to the snarkiness we all love.

Cadaverous Concoctor of Chaos Creepy Glowbugg:

will post on Wretched Wednesday, so tune in!

Wretched Wednesday - Got Goth?

Ahhhh, the smell of damp, fetid earth and the slick feel

of a yet to be determined globulus muck!

It's good to be back!

The gates to the

Haunted Design House

are open for business! 

Kicking the year off in traditional HDH style,

the challenge is,

"Got Goth?".

Nice and easy... but don't get used to it!

Here is my submission.

It's good to be back at it again!

I can feel the 'ol mojo warming up!

Okay, I started off with some really cool laced dp,

but can't remember who it's by (Barb?). 

I used some long hoarded real lace trim from

Wild Orchid along the bottom.   

This awesome image is called, Tad Batty

by Terra Bidlespacher for Sweet Pea Stamps.

I added a big vellum moon as the backdrop for the image.

I used Sparkling Silver mist to add texture and some

dimension to the moon.

I had some chipboard flourishes from a year or two ago that

matched the color scheme and give the illusion of vegetation.

I finally got to use my MS skull border punch

that I got for my Bday last year (thanks Barb!!).

I also used the MS bat fence punch and highlighted it

using a black Spica pen to represent moonlight.

That's it for me.

You have plenty of time to "get your Goth on",

and play along with this week's challenge. 

HDH114 - Got Goth?

*Please see the sidebar for HDH Macabre Monday Rules*

(Note: entries not following the guidelines are not eligible for prizes or badges)

Have you MISSED us, terribly?!!
Well... the Haunted Design House Macabre Monday challenges are BACK!
(pause for applause)
...
...

Ok, macabre fans... your challenge this week:

HDH114
"Got Goth?"

You are to create a dark, Gothic, or Halloween-based art piece

that uses or includes a Goth theme.  Think black, lace, leather, elegance, etc.

Yeah, I know... an easy challenge... but since most of us suck (and not in a good way) at keeping New Years' Resolutions, I thought I would give us a chance to finish SOMETHING the first week of the new year!

Check out what the Macabre Minions have created for your viewing pleasure:

Sultana of the Sinister Lynx:

Creepy Cricut Cween Donna:

Agent of the Abominable Andrea:

Our Devious Digital Demoness Susan

is out with a few broken bones, but is hopefully healing up nicely.  She'll be back to grind soon, if not... well... it will be time for me to get the whip out!

Temptress of Terror Teri:

 And Teri created a new digi especially for this challenge!  It will be available in her online shop... see sidebar for the link.




Imp of Insanity Ike:

Cadaverous Concoctor of Chaos Creepy Glowbugg:

will post on Wretched Wednesday, so tune in!

Now let's see... do YOU Got Goth?
 

A new addition to the HDH dungeon...

... that's right, I have collected yet another soul to do my Macabre Monday bidding!

She is from the "meat-grinder Tilda" fame.

Have you guessed yet?

That's right... please velcome:

The Imp of Insanity Ike

Here's a little bio:

Hi there – I am Ike……a nickname that I got hooked with many years ago due to my surname, and in my profession at that time, …… they just loved  to give nicknames.

OK – potted history ….. I was born in the UK, went to art college, worked as a Cop for 30 years, had me 1 fabulous daughter, lived on an island, retired and moved to another country, became a grandmother, do my own thing  :-D

I live in Greece now and have a passion for kitties J I have 8 house cats and several interlopers that I feed at the windows. This number grows all the time as the kitty telegraph goes around !!  I also have 8 English Light Sussex chickens that I reared myself in an incubator.

I am a complete nutter or should I say I’m ‘zany’ hahaha.  I have a very strange/sick sense of humour and I must admit I spend a lot of time talking to myself. !!  Well, I get more sense out of me.!  I reckon in a few years I shall be known as the “crazy cat lady”.

I am an artist and have a strange mind when it comes to creating my art. I either go completely true to life… right down to the last hair… or I go totally surreal.   I have a passion for all things horror/Gothic etc. I’ve always loved horror films and books and I guess that’s why it creeps into my stuff ! 

Had I been a bit younger I swear I would have been a Goth……luuuuuv it.

Next time around I am gonna be a witch or a cat.

Ike also has an online store HERE.

Please give her a roasty welcome, and I know you will enjoy what she will bring to the Macabre Minion faction :)

Do you hear that?

Do you hear that scratching? That simpering?

Squabbling and snickering?

Have no fear, (well, maybe some fear)

it's just the Minions wanting to come out and play.

It's been a long holiday and the little beasties

want to show you what they've been up to!

The new season of Macabre Monday challenges

starts this coming Monday, the 2nd of January. 

Macabre Mondays are coming.....

That's right!

It's time to dust off your ghoulish goodies and get

ready to start off the New Year with a whole new

slew of Macabre Monday challenges!!

Little hint: The first challenge of the New Year is gonna

be GOTHIC in nature.

That is all.

Come back on Monday if you dare!!!

Bring a friend if you think it will help. 

Last one...

Just a quick note to wish everyone a wonderful Winter Holiday weekend!  And even though I didn't keep it creepy this week, just know that I still haven't put away ANY of my Halloween decor :)

Does that make up for it?!!

More My Mind's Eye paper and a Simply Betty Stamp image.

Merry Creepmas to all!!

Stop the cuteness...

Warned ya' yesterday... just sayin'.  Today's bit of non-creepiness:

But at least she has attitude, right?  Another image from SBS's Sweet Gothic Kids.  And Echo Park paper maybe?

A not-so-macabre Mutinous Monday :)

Since this week is bound to be super busy with Holiday merriment, I'm scheduling a couple of posts ahead... OMG... can you believe it... it sounds like I'm kinda organized.

Don't let me fool you ;)

Anyhoo, just to warn you:  this week's posts won't be very creepy.  Sorry, I've scraped the last of my never-before-posted cards out of the crypt, and they're on the cute side.

GASP!  OH THE HORROR!

(or the lack there of)

This one is from quite awhile back... when I was on the DT for Simply Betty Stamps.  Actually, all of them this week are from then :)  Enjoy!

A little saucy, no?  ;)

The image is from one of the Sweet Gothic Kids lines.  I do like the big eyes... very fun to color.  And I can't remember which paper this is... maybe My Mind's Eye from a year or two ago?

See... not very organized at all :)

Mutinous Monday...

Whoops... almost forgot to post something today!  Rush rush rush... this time of year is exhausting.  So, take a little breather and have a gander at this:

This card is from one of my recent Copic Classes I taught at The Scrapbook Page in Shawnee, Kansas.  I LOVE this Sweet Pea image from Anna Marine!  Paired with that black/red paper = awesome!

She looks so much better in person... my camera isn't the best.

I sprayed the rolled flowers with Black Gold Glimmer Mist for a subtle shimmer.  And then there is that fan-freakin'-tastic black velvet/crochet trim from May Arts... just one more addiction I have now developed!

SMUDGETASTIC



Still have some hard to shop for names on your
holiday list?

Our very own Minion, Andrea
"has such sights to show you"
in her Etsy shop.

Not only is Andrea truly gifted with a paint brush,
but she is amazing at making the most detailed tiny miniatures.
They are perfect for a mini apothecary hutch or a
miniature Hallowe'en display.    

See what I mean?!
Look at those teeny little punkins and leaves on
that tiny cake!!!

Perfection!!!

Multi talented, that's our Andrea.
She is also quite clever with the whole felting gig as well!
I am the proud owner of a few of her felted pieces and I can attest that
they are unique in design, very well crafted and neat and tight.
I like that in a felted piece.  

I know I already mentioned her immense ability with paint
and a  brush, but check out this gorgeous witch!!
Completely hand painted and it measures 3" X 3"!!!
I also have a collection of Andrea's small paintings and they
are superb! So detailed and beautifully crafted!!!

Now that you have had a taste of what kind of magical items
await you in Andrea's Etsy shop, please drop by and see what
may very well be the perfect holiday gift for someone on your list
or just treat yourself to something special!!

If you use the coupon code HDHSMUDGE
you will receive a 15% discount over the holidays.

    

Mutinous Monday...

Just a few more weeks and the Minions will be back!  Until then, here is a little sumpin' sumpin' from the Mistress:

All of the stamps used here are/were from The Angel Company.  I cut up a large collage stamp that had a vintage chick on it with a totally f'd up face... the border and the sentiment was pretty cool, so viola!  I even did a little heat embossing on this baby.

I paper-pieced the chair fabric for a little POP o' color... regal purple... mmmmmmm... this makes me think of True Blood's former King of Mississippi, Russell Edgington for some reason.  

(image borrowed from Google Images)

Though Russell was not a looker (helloooooo Eric... I miss you), he definitely had that royal air about him.  Not to mention his style of furnishings:

(image borrowed from Google Images)

Anyway... back to the grind... I need to work on my class samples, but I'm probably just going to veg in front of the tv.  Gotta work at the Evil Job tomorrow... dammit.  

Question of the day:  Why can't someone just pay me to HDH all day?  (sigh)