Skull Appreciation Day Blog Hop with Smeared and Smudged!

Howzit Friends!
Oh it's a SAD SAD day...NOT, LOL!
Welcome to the first of my blogs playing in this year's Skull Appreciation Day Blog Hop hosted by the fabulous Smeared and Smudged team!  Thanks so much for hopping with us all today!

a peek at my entire S.A.D collection

Here's the blog roll to keep you going and if you stopped by here first then start the hop at the beginning on Black Dragon's blog, you do not want to miss all the fangtastic skullie eye candy being shared today!

SKULL APPRECIATION DAY
Blog Hop

Black Dragon
Katie
Lisa
Tit Belsoeur
Anna
Sue
Nan
Dream In Darkness
Harp
Maureen
Ike
Monique
Fiona
Teresa
Leigh S-B - U R HERE!
DominoART
Lost Coast Portal to Creativity
Julia
Susan R.

 Here's my 1st Smeared and Smudged DT project for today!  I've got another one on my DominoART blog plus 3 more on the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity blog which just happen to be your are next 2 stops today!

I used Smeared Ink's rubber stamps on this one.  I decided to pull out my stash of marble background papers created with the shaving cream technique and artists inks in shades of red and grey, I also added Vanilla Smooch Spritz to the marble paper to give it a magical shimmer.  I stamped the skellie for the focal point onto the marble paper with black Memento Ink, trimmed and layered it onto black cardstock and cut the border with my favourite Perfect Layers tools by Perfect Paper Crafting (use my special code LBrunton to get 10% off your entire order).  The large ink splatter background was stamped on white cardstock with Fired Brick and Black Soot Distress Inks and then more Black Soot ink was applied with a foam ink applicator and then adhered to a black mat .  The main panel was embellished with a winged skellie charm and mounted on the background with black foam dots and then I added the self adhesive grey pearls on all 4 corners.

a closer look at the details

Here's some sneaky peeks at my 3 LCD DT projects made for the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity part of the SAD hop!  Today is also the start of our 1st Skellie-Fest event that runs through to June 18th with a $20 gift certificate to spend at Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda!
Don't forget to return after the hop and play to win!

Happy Stamping!

 THE SHARPIE DOMINO QUEEN

I design for Smeared and Smudged - Smeared Ink * Lost Coast Designs * Forever Dark Challenges * Altered Eclectic Challenges * About Art Accents

"Coralyne and the Dragon" - Forever Dark DT project for Challenge #1

Howzit Friends!
Woohoo, the big day is here!  Our Forever Dark Challenges launch today!  Yeah Yeah!
 We have TWO fangtastic sponsors this month and we had the pleasure of creating with the digi images they provided us with!

Ikes Art

Ike is offering 3 digi images

ArtiDoodles

Teri is offering 3 digi images

Everybody has a Dark Side and whether you indulge it daily or occasionally let it out to play, or you've never dared to go dark before but want to give it a try then Forever Dark welcomes you, just leave the cute at the door please ;0)  Our challenges are monthly and start on Tuesdays at 9am UK time so do stop by and check us out!  I and my fellow teamies look forward to seeing your dark and twisted creations!

 I've got two Forever Dark DT projects featuring digi stamps by both sponsors and I'll be sharing one today and the 2nd tomorrow.

Up first is a fantasy card I made using digi stamps by ArtiDoodles.
Celtic Dragon Frame and  Corvus Coralyne

  I made this aperture card by printing out the dragon on a sheet of white cardstock, folded it in half to form the card and cut out the center of the frame.  Coralyne was also printed and I cut out just the portion I wanted seen in the frame.  All the images were coloured with Copics and the backgrounds treated with Fired Brick and Black Soot Distress Inks.  The design on the Celtic frame, the dragon's spikes and claws and Coralyne's jewelry all have metallic silver detailing.  I used Cheery Lynne's Spiderweb die cut in black cardstock to decorate the two corners and the inside of the card.  Now for the magic part....stand the card open and put a flameless votive candle behind it and the whole card comes to life with a magical glow! 

The magical glow!

 

 A closer look at the details

A closer look at the silver metallic details on the central image

The view inside the card with the candle glow

I hope I've inspired you to come and play with us and enter Forever Dark Challenge #1!

Happy Stamping!

 THE SHARPIE DOMINO QUEEN

I design for Smeared Ink * Lost Coast Designs * Altered Eclectic Challenges *About Art Accents

DT inspiration for lots of New Fabulous Challenges for June!

Howzit Friends!

WOW, Can you believe it's June 1st already!  Instead of dwelling on how fast Time seems to be slipping by here's some fabulous new Challenges to play in this month ;0)

DominoART

Lost Coast Designs rubber stamps:

 Raven with Tree Branches and large Tree Branches

First up is DominoART's June Challenge - #14 is "Any Theme + Any Game Goes"!  This one is wide open and perfect for you to get your feet wet if you've been wanting to try your hand at altered game art!

Lost Coast Portal to Creativity Challenge

Lost Coast Designs rubber stamps:  Time Flies, ATC Misc 7 Set and Numbers Border

It's also time for a new Lost Coast Designs challenge which are now being hosted over on our brand new Event and Challenge blog - Lost Coast Portal to Creativity!  We're having Grand Opening Celebrations right through to the end of July so pop on over and check everything out!  We've got loads of prizes up for grabs so STAY TO PLAY!
 

Lost Coast Portal to Creativity Challenge #13 is NUMBERS and my DT inspiration is this "Universal Language" Game Art trinket box which I'll feature in more detail on Wednesday over on DominoART!
 

Altered Eclectics

I used Lost Coast Designs Manga Goth with Top Hat

It's also time for our new challenge over at Altered Eclectics challenge blog where it's always Anything Goes as long as it's altered or mixed media art but no cards/tags/ATCs allowed!  My DT inspiration project is "Maddy Hatter's Wonderlandian Sugar Bowl" Game Art trinket box which you can see HERE and HERE! 

Forever Dark - Sneaky Peek

 PLUS I'm super excited to announce that I'm on the Forever Dark Design Team and our first Challenge starts June 2nd over at Forever Dark where you will be able to indulge your dark side!  I've got 2 DT projects to share this week coz we've got TWO sponsors so be sure to stop by and check us out!

Did I tell you there's lots of new fabulous Challenges to play in this month or what LOL ;0)
 Happy Stamping!

 THE SHARPIE DOMINO QUEEN

I design for Smeared Ink * Lost Coast Designs * Forever Dark * Altered Eclectic Challenges

The Other Side of Fear - Digital Art for Smudgy Antics!

Hello Friends!
It's my turn to share some Smeared and Smudged aka Smeared Ink DT inspiration today for our current Smudgy Antics "Anything Goes" Challenge!  We're now entering week 4 so hurry on over and enter to be in the running for the prize of a Smeared Ink digi as well as a Smeared Ink rubber stamp!

Here's my digital art featuring the Smeared Ink digi prize, one of the Other Side of Fear ladies, plus wings from one of the Heart Wings digis and the sentiment is also from the Other Side of Fear set.  Everything was done in Photoshop CS6.

Don't forget that DominoART's current challenge RAVENS ends on Wednesday so hurry and get in your Raven themed altered game art of any kind!

I've entered this one into
Haunted Design House May Challenge

 Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous weekend!

Happy Stamping!

 THE SHARPIE DOMINO QUEEN

I design for Smeared Ink * Lost Coast Designs * Forever Dark * Altered Eclectic Challenges *About Art Accents

"Wonderland Sugar Bowl" Doublecross Domino Trinket Box & Launch of Lost Coast Designs new Event & Challenge Blog!

Hello Friends!
I'm super excited to tell you about the launch today of our new Event and Challenge Blog called

Lost Coast Portal to Creativity!

Where the stamps of Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda collide to bring you Twice the Inspiration and Double the Fun!

We've got so many fabulous events planned for you with lots of Design Team eye candy and lots of chances to win prizes galore!  PLUS our Lost Coaster's Review Challenges will now be hosted on the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity blog starting with the June Challenge on June 1st and they will continue to start on the first Monday of every month!  Exciting times ahead but today we're kicking off the grand opening celebration with a 10 week long event (approx. 2 months) to showcase the stamps featured on the NEW IMAGE pages of both stamp lines so you've got plenty of time to come and play with us and be in the running to win a $20 gift certificate to spend at either LCD or CV or a combination of both!  Check out the new image pages via those 2 links below!  Pop on over and let me know what you think of the blog coz I designed it :0)

Check out our new Lost Coast Designs stamps!

Check out our new Carmen's Veranda stamps!

Now for my LCD DT inspiration make for the launch!  I used Lost Coast Designs Manga Goth with Top Hat.  I couldn't resist making a Wonderland themed project coz LCD's stamp looks just like my Ever After High Madelaine Hatter doll created by Mattel!
 

 I made a "Sugar Bowl" altered Doublecross domino trinket box (which just happens to also be a portal to Wonderland) and used one of Madelaine's Tea Party accessories as the handle for the lid..it's a cupcake! Isn't it cute!

 The lid and the base are Pairs in Pears alphabet game tiles.  The image was stamped with Jet Black StazOn ink and coloured with Sharpie markers.  I decided to have the pip side of 2 of the dominoes facing out so that you can see the game pieces and to carry on the dotty theme I wrapped all the domino edges with polka dot paper tape.  Plus I used a black die for the lid stopper too!

 Thanks for visiting with me today!  I hope you'll pop on over to Lost Coast Portal to Creativity and join our "New Stamp Release" event plus our Lost Coaster's Review Blog also has a new look and is now our official Design Team blog where we share creations every 2nd day so pop on over and follows us there too for fabulous LCD and CV inspiration!

Happy Stamping!

 THE SHARPIE DOMINO QUEEN

I design for Smeared Ink * Lost Coast Designs * Forever Dark * Altered Eclectic Challenges *About Art Accents

"Putting the Pieces Back Together" Smeared and Smudged DT inspiration!

Hello Friends!
Today I'm sharing some Smeared and Smudged DT inspiration over on our Smudgy Antics Challenge blog.  The current challenge is Anything Goes and projects must always be dark and twisty.  Even though Smeared Ink has ceased trading as of May 5th 2015 we are still offering Smeared Ink prizes!  There's been some other changes to the challenge rules to give you more creative freedom too so pop on over and check it all out!

The digi image I'm featuring today is from the Other Side of Fear set and is one of the prizes up for grabs plus there's also a rubber stamp from SI ATC Letterbox set up for grabs too!

I've called this one "Putting the Pieces Back Together" after a broken heart so I assembled only some of the pieces and displayed the others in a partially fragmented pattern.

I printed out the image and then coloured her with Copics markers.  I adhered the white cardstock to black cardstock to give the image more weight before running it through my Cuttlebug and die cut out the jigsaw puzzle pieces.  I applied Fired Brick Distress Ink to all the puzzle edges and adhered them to the card front with Scotch Quick Dry adhesive.  The folded card was prepared with a mat cut from Valentine patterned paper which I toned down and darkened with Black Soot Distress Ink and I also applied the Fired Brick to the edges of the white card as well.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a great weekend!  Also, don't forget to stop by DominoART and check out my 15 Days of Terror - Half-O-Ween in May scarefest currently underway!  There's lots of wicked altered game being shared all month long ;0)

Happy Stamping!

 THE SHARPIE DOMINO QUEEN

I design for Smeared Ink * Lost Coast Designs * Altered Eclectic Challenges *About Art Accents

Seahorses ATCs with Lost Coast Designs!

Howzit Friends!
Lost Coast Designs May Challenge began on Monday and here's the two ATCs I made as my DT inspiration!  First a quick note that the May Challenge will be the last one hosted on the Lost Coaster's Review Blog coz I'm thrilled to give you the heads up that we will soon launch a brand new combined Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda Events and Challenge Blog by mid May!  Exciting times ahead, Woohoo ;0)

Now for my ATCs featuring Lost Coast Designs Seahorse and large Bubbles background stamps.
I used the same two stamps but used the Bubbles stamp differently to achieve different effects!

For the ATC above I inked up the Bubbles background stamp with a combination of Versafine Ink Sea Breeze and Turquoise Gem and removed some of the ink by stamping on scrap paper first and then onto the ATC for a softer effect.  The Seahorse was then stamped with Jet Black Archival Ink.
For the ATC below I stamped the Seahorse first and then the Bubbles was stamped over the top without removing any ink first.

Both ATCs were then coloured with various Copic markers to achieve the watery effects and the Bubbles of the background stamp were enhanced with Vive Pearl Transparent Magic White dimensional paint which also takes on the colour underneath and adds a beautiful sparkly shimmer to each bubble.  My photos just don't do them justice, it was hard to capture how magical and shimmery they look in person!

I hope I've inspired you to create some ATCs this month and join our Lost Coast Designs Challenge!  I look forward to seeing all your gorgeous creations featuring LCD and even Carmen's Veranda images!  Tell you friends to come and play coz if we get 10 entries you are all in the running for a $10 gift certificate to spend at LCD/CV!

Happy Stamping!

 THE SHARPIE DOMINO QUEEN

I design for Smeared Ink * Lost Coast Designs * Altered Eclectic Challenges *About Art Accents

Grandmaster Altered Pencil Holder!

Howzit Everyone!
 It's my turn today to share some DT inspiration over on our Smudgy Antics challenge blog.

I've had this very versatile Tombow 'store display' marker holder in my studio for many years.  I'm calling it a pencil holder for want of a better word but I use it daily for various purposes like to stand projects in while they dry or carry some coloured pencils or markers to my desk.  I've been wanting to do 'something' to pretty it up and I finally did it, haha!    It's also the perfect compliment to my 2015 daily planner I altered earlier this year! 

this is what it looked like with sides all open

I used all of the stunning chess piece Smeared Ink digis called Grandmaster and the chess board background I previously designed to create the panels for each side in Photoshop CS6 before printing them out.  Each panel was trimmed and run through my Xyron to add permanent adhesive and then layered onto black cardstock and trimmed again.  I applied Fired Brick and Black Soot Distress Inks with a foam ink applicator tool and adhered each panel to the plastic holder with permanent adhesive tape.  I added the harlequin diamond washi tape to all the corner edges and the top edges and the measuring tape to the bottom edges to neaten and complete the overall look.  I'm very pleased with how my "new" handy gadget turned out!

 There's approximately 8 days left to play in Smudgy Antics current 'always anything goes' challenge so I hope I've inspired you to come and join us!

Something wicked is coming to DominoART starting May 1st!  Join me for 15 Days of Terror over on my DominoART blog where we celebrate Half-O-Ween in May!  I feature altered game art created by my TERROR-ific Players every 2nd day all May long and I'd love to feature YOUR scary altered game art so sign up now!

 PLUS, we're celebrating DominoART's 13th Birthday with an altered game art doll contest that I've been hosting since 2002, the search for DominoART's Next Top Mascot, the Dominique Doll contest.

 Click on the event banners for details on all the fun events going on!

Happy Stamping!

 THE SHARPIE DOMINO QUEEN

I design for Smeared Ink * Lost Coast Designs * Altered Eclectic Challenges *About Art Accents

Smeared and Smudged "Decorate An Egg" Members Blog Hop!

Howzit Everyone!
Welcome to the April SMEARED AND SMUDGED members blog hop!

The Smeared and Smudged Facebook group welcomes all kinds of art work, especially the themes that other groups and challenges frown upon but don't be afraid, we are a friendly bunch of artists and crafters who just embrace the alternative and dark and twisty side of stamping and crafting.

For this members blog hop Smeared and Smudged challenged us to DECORATE AN EGG and yes, it had to be a REAL egg.  We were encouraged to use our imagination, step out of our comfort zones and dare to be different, get inky and painty and get supremely messy and most of all, have fun! 
 The only S&S rule, as usual, is that it had to be stamped somewhere (digi stamps are fine).  It's a smaller hop this month but I'm sure you're still going to be blown away by the quirky creativity!

Below is the full blog roll, please visit everyone on the list and leave some love!

April Member Blog Hop
Leigh - U R Here!
Nan
Leslie Rahye
Susan R.
Jane
Kristy
Ike

Now, as I mentioned above, we at Smeared and Smudged embrace the alternative so I'm warning you that this might be a touchy subject for some and I'm sorry if my project offends or upsets anyone!  My altered egg is a sculptural statement piece about the appalling conditions and the cruelty that poor chickens endure in way too many egg farms.  I don't buy eggs often but only get free range eggs when I do and I encourage everyone to do the same or go vegetarian!

"Ode to A Chicken"

I'm afraid that my project didn't quite work out the way I intended it to.  It's been a while since I decorated an egg and I couldn't quite get my stamping of the skeleton bird image as clear as I wanted it and therefore didn't achieve the overall look I was going for.  But I think it still depicts how fragile the chicken is (and all animals) and the fractured image mirrors the fragility of the egg and how easily life can be harmed by mankind.

I started off by punching holes in the top and the bottom of the egg and blowing out the contents into a bowl which hubby later used for an omelet.  The entire egg was painted with 3 coats of white gesso and I roll stamped the Smeared Ink Skellie bird image from the Letterbox Backgrounds January 2015 rubber set (middle left image) onto the egg with Jet Black StazOn ink.  I then coloured it with various Prismacolor pencils, sealed it with Krylon Artists Workable Fixative and covered the punched top hole with a bead adhered with Inkssentials Matte Accents.  The egg was then adhered to a real chicken wish bone with E6000 adhesive.

Thanks for hopping with us today!  You're next stop is Nan, I'm sure she has a less depressing project to share with you!
Enjoy!

Happy Stamping!

 THE SHARPIE DOMINO QUEEN

I design for Smeared Ink * Lost Coast Designs * Altered Eclectic Challenges *About Art Accents

Wonderlandian Bookmarks

Happy Monday the 13th to you all!

It's my turn to share some DT inspiration over at our Smudgy Antics design team blog which is also where we host our monthly Anything Goes challenges!

 I'm sharing 3 Wonderlandian bookmarks in celebration of National Library week which began on Sunday!  Of course I had to represent one of my favourite books, Alice in Wonderland, and use some of my favourite Smeared Ink digis from the Wonderland set!

I performed some Photoshop magic and combined pages scanned from my Alice in Wonderland books with the images and printed them out onto Neenah Solar White cardstock.  I erased areas on all 3 digi images to allow the book pages to show through while keeping some areas white so that I could colour them with Copic markers.  I also added touches of gold to each one with a metallic gold gel pen.

I then cut them all out and matted them onto olive green cardstock and used my Perfect Layers tools by Perfect Paper Crafting to cut the borders.  If you haven't seen these tools then you NEED to coz they're amazing and they completely eliminate you ever needing a paper trimmer and wasting cardstock, you get perfect sized mats every time!  Click on my PPC Ambassadors link and get 10% off your entire Perfect Paper Crafting order with my code LBrunton!

I used my Crop-A-Dile to punch holes into each one and add flower shaped eyelets and finished them off with fun jewel toned flag fiber.  Thanks for stopping by to check out my bookmarks but I now challenge you to put down those devices and read a book ;0)  Enjoy!

Happy Reading!

 THE SHARPIE DOMINO QUEEN

I design for Smeared Ink * Lost Coast Designs * Altered Eclectic Challenges *About Art Accents