Wretched Wednesday - Get Lost!

Okay, first things first.

We have two sets of Gruesome Twosome titles

to name today.

First up are the GTs for the

Metal Mania challenge.

Congratulations to

Dawn

 

and

Lisa

Fabulously metallic projects ladies. 

Which brings us to the highly coveted,

Stampotique sponsored, Chic Freak challenge GTs.

Willy

and

Evil Edna 

and finally, the winner of the $30 gift certificate,

Susan

Please contact Barb (email addy is in the sidebar)

to claim your prize.

Congratulations to all the winners!

Please grab your badge and display it with

deviant pride!!

A huge thank you to everyone that played in the recent

challenges! So much eye candy to salivate over!

And finally, I have my Get Lost! project

for this week's Macabre Monday challenge.

As soon as I saw this Voodoo Lady image

from Kraftin' Kimmie,

I knew she would be mine. Yes, she would be mine... 

I took an Old World map I found on Google

and chopped it in half and distressed it. 

I used both halves to layer behind my main image.

I also made my own background paper with an

ancient clear stamp of a compass and some

Sepia Versamark, some clear embossing powder,

and some Stickles.

And then for my big "step out of my comfort zone",

I colored with watercolor pencils on kraft paper.

It was fun and different to use the pencils. It seemed to 

take longer, but the end result is pretty cool.

I need some more pencils, but I am not into the whole

Gammasol and baby oil blending (even more work!),

so it's cheapy Coloray or Col-erase pencils for me!

There is still plenty of time to enter

this week's Macabre Monday challenge!!!

Just do it!!  

HDH117 - Get Lost!

*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:

HDH117
"Get Lost"

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

that includes a map.  Big or small, background or main focus... let's get lost in HDH-land!

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:

 I'm intrigued already...

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:

Imp of Insanity Ike:

Cadaverous Concoctor of Chaos Creepy Glowbugg:

will post on Wretched Wednesday, so tune in!

So, are you up for this challenge?!  Time to get lost this week :)

HDH116 Chic Freaks - Macabre Mistress style...

Can you believe I actually am playing along this week?!!  I swear it's been for-FREAKIN-evah since I've had the chance to create something for this blog :)  But there was no way I was gonna miss out on a week sponsored by Stampotique!

First off, I wanna show off my Stampotique collection.  I have my Daniel Torrente blocks displayed so that I can see them from my desk:

JOY!  I've also got a little cube stamp w/ four Torrente images, but you can't see it here.  You may be asking yourself: "uh, Barb... I haven't seen you use all of these before... WTF?"  Yes, it's true, dammit.  The cube, fence, door & head background have yet to see ink :(

And here are my latest additions, courtesy of Stampotique (thanks SO much!)...

"Olivia" & "Glimmering Hope":

I tried to go all simple-dark-elegant-chic for Olivia...

Toner Grey & Red Copics on kraft cardstock, MME paper, my favorite trim by May Arts (red texture), a black rosette from JoAnn's, and a sentiment stamp from StampInsanity.

Now my favorite, Glimmering Hope...

I actually used Prismacolor pencils & mineral oil for this one!

I started with a little Picket Fence Distress Stain to lighten the area where I stamped.  After drying it with the heat gun, I colored.  More MME paper, some lover-ly black lace from Creepy Glowbugg (thanks, man!), and a few Michael's grey flowers round this one out.

LOVE HER!  Kinda ethereal looking, eh?  She looks waaaaaay better in person...

I am no photographer.

That's it for today!  You still have until Sunday, 5pm central time, to play along for a gift certificate to Stampotique... you KNOW you want some of those Torrente images :)   Be sure to check the challenge post HERE, and get your freak on!

So, what do you think?

Wretched Wednesday - Chic Freak

It is Wretched Wednesday!!

Are you ready to get your freak on?!

Now I can remember the very first time I set

my eyes upon a Daniel Torrente image.

I can distinctly recall thinking happily, that someone had

finally tapped into the alternative, unique, not so cute,

slightly creepy, vein of rubber stamps.

Stampotique is still one of my very favorite

stamp companies to this day, with Daniel's

images at the top of my must have list.

This week's sponsor for Macabre Monday

is none other than

Stampotique Originals.

The challenge is

Chic Freaks.

I started off with the awesome and versatile Bat Like Wings stamp

and my favorite little bat buddy, Batboy.

I altered him a bit by chopping off his usual party hat

and adding those killer wings.

I used some die cuts and cool word art from Ginger's House.

Top it all off with some rhinestones, and voila!

He's chic and a freak!!

But I'm not done yet!

This is my new favorite image called simply,

3 Smiles.

I decided to do some clean and simple cards

using Distress inks to "color" the faces.

I went over the eyes and the smiles with VersaMark

and then clear embossed to keep them white.

Then I used TH Distress Inks in various colors and some 

sponge daubers to blend the colors together.

I left them blank until I need them for a specific reason

or occassion. It's good to have blank cards on hand.

I had a blast (as usual) creating with the awesome stamps

from Stampotique.

Rise to this week's Macabre Monday challenge

and maybe you'll be the lucky winner of a $30 gift certificate!!

  

  

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?