Someone to Watch Over me

This week our Macabre Monday challenge at Haunted Design House is Gods and Monsters. You can choose from those of Greek Mythology, a classic movie, or some bizarre divination from a tale from long ago. I'm not sure I'd call this lovely gargoyle a monster, but it's gonna have to work for this challenge. The fab image is the very first I fell in love with from our dear Teri at Delicious Doodles HERE. (P.S. if you're not into creepy, there are tons of just plain beautiful digis at Delicious Doodles as well.) I just love gargoyles.

Besides the architectural purpose of diverting rain from the roof away from the side of a building to keep the water from eroding the mortar, non water spitting grotesques, also known as gargoyles, are said to scare off and protect from any evil or harmful spirits. My little guy is gonna sit on my desk and keep me nice and safe. I'm sort of bummed you can't see the embossing here under the sentiment. I used the Tim Holtz Bricked folder from Sizzix because I thought that was fitting.

This was my first attempt at a twisted easel and I used my Nesties Large Octogons to construct the base. The roses are from Recollections. Everything I've used for this card I've had for WELL over 6 months so I'm entering it in the Simply Create challenge and the monochromatic color scheme qualifies it for the 4 Crafty Chicks challenge as well. I'm also entering it in the Sentimental Sundays Anything Goes challenge, and Simon Says Stamp and Show Things with Wings.

This great image requires no coloring and just begs to be decoupaged. He was printed 6 times and I fussy cut up a storm. Just LOVE the way he pops off the page. The Minions truly enjoyed this one so pop by HDH for some inspiration and be sure to visit often this month. Besides Creepy Glowbugg's post on Wednesday with the Gruesome Twosome announcement and such, we're also bringing you all around cool and spooky stuff to make your October the best month EVER!

Tiddly Inks Reading Fun

It's Tiddly Tuesday and rounding out our "Back to School" inspired challenges, our challenge this week is Reading Fun. It can be inspired by a particular book, or just a general reading theme, which is what I chose to do. When I came across Aida-Gonna Miss You I thought of taking a trip in my head. That's what reading is, isn't it? I cut the book and pages from the My Community Cricut cartridge. I wrote a little story about Aida on the left page and the theme of my piece on the right and printed it on the pages.

Aida was printed 3 times, colored with Copics and decoupaged for dimension. The "bookmark" is a Tim Holtz Swivel Clasp with a Philosophy Tag and a key from K&Co to represent "the key to the imagination".

Obviously, it's an easel card and the map DP is from the Tim Holtz Lost and Found paper stack. The small tickets are preprinted Adage Tickets and the large one is a Journaling Ticket (also Tim Holtz) on which I printed "Read" and added a few adhesive beads for emphasis. There are fabulous projects by the rest of the Tiddley Inkers HERE and Christy is previewing some adorable new "Minnie" images that are already available in the "What's New" section HERE and a freebie on her blog HERE. I hope you're inspired to share a reading inspired project with us this week at Tiddly Inks. I'm also entering this in the Simon Says Stamp and Show Some Travel(oops! missed that one), the Sentimental Sunday Back to School and Kaboodles Doodles Easel Does It Challenge.

Oh, and BTW, if you haven't commented on my BBTB2 Home Decor project, please scroll down and do so for a chance to win a $40.00 gift certificate to Custom Crops. They've got a fab sale going on and lots of new products, so check it out HERE.

Macabre Monday Kuriously Korroded with Kenny K

This week's Macabre Monday Challenge calls for a card that is "kuriously korroded" as in sanded, torn or otherwise distressed, sponsored my the fabulous Kenny K. The Minions cackled when I chose my Kenny K image, which is Mae Western, but I couldn't help it, it was RODEO Weekend here in Livermore. How could I not? And while she's hardly macabre, I do think she has a bit of a nasty streak, don't you? Korroded it is. The denim paper is torn, the C'oredinations is embossed with Tim Holtz Woodgrain and sanded and chewed with my Distrezz-It-All and there's quite a bit of inking going on. Mae is colored with Copics and fussy cut and she's sittin' on one gigantic spur, cut with the Old West Cartridge on my Circut. So is that fab barbed wire.

So here's where the nasty somes in. She's been ridin' that cowboy HARD! See that blood on the spur? And a bit on the barbed wire, too. Did that cowboy try to escape?..Nah... Too much pleasure in this pain...Oh, that was LAST week...my bad! LOL

A little rope action inside and the sentiments were computer generated and cut and matted with Nesties Labels Seventeen. YeeHaw! Now get along and see what the rest of the Minions have in store for you and be sure to play along for a chance to win some Kenny K's! (try to make you're a little darker than mine, though. I was almost drummed out of the corps. ;) I'm also entering this in the Simon Says Stamp and Show which is Distressed or Torn Edges and the Gingersnap Creations Denim Rust and Dust challenge.

Bunny Hopping with the Tiddly Inkers

In honor of our the "Bunny Hop" coming up on the Tiddly Inks Challenge Blog I made a whimsical little basket using Hoppy Easter (retiring soon and on sale HERE for only $1.00) but also part of the super deal Bunny Boo Adventures that includes 4 images plus sentiments AND some secret images not shown for the sale price of $3.50! WooHoo! OOOh, that was a mouthful! LOL Anyway I'd colored Bunny Boo with Copics, added a little punched butterfly, cut him out and backed him with Nesties, and then said "Now what?" I mucked around with papers and found some by Heidi Grace that matched my coloring and then remembered an adorable basket I'd made several years ago using that same paper. Perfect!

The Origami basket is from a UTube Video from JenLowe Designs. It requires one sheet of 12x12 double sided card stock that isn't ultra thick. My image is a bit big to get a really good pic of the basket but you get the idea. Isn't it fun?

Now for more fun you MUST check out the Refer a Friend 2 week challenge on the Tiddly Inks Challenge Blog HERE. Christy explains the whole deal WAY better than I ever could and there's lots of chances for you and your friends to win free images AND meet more friends. That's what all this is about after all, isn't it? I'm also entering this in the Simon Says Stamp Spring/Easter Challenge and the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge which is Anything but a Card.

Tiddly Inks Picture Me Challenge

This week at the Tiddly Inks Challenge Blog we have a super challenge. Besides the gorgeous Photo Inspiration, you must combine it with a shaped card NOT using your Cricut. My initial reaction to this was "I'm glad I'm on Team B and not required to follow the challenge this week, LOL" but Lysa has done a fab tutorial and the photo is really beautiful so I thought "Hey, it's a CHALLENGE, get that butt in gear."

I've used Lysa's Style 1 using my Nesties Labels 10. The only difference is I cut an additional mat to glue on top to hide the fold. I pretty much do that with ALL of my shaped cards, including Cricut, because it gives me a sturdier base on which to pop my images. Next came another mat using DP from Me&My Big Ideas in the colors from the photo above. I chose Tiny Dancer for the image because her tutu reminded my of the flower puffs in the photo (and because it's one of my favorite songs). She's colored with Copics.

The sentiment is a REALLY old word stamp from a set called Rubber Stamp Poet by All Night Media. It's cut with the the smallest of the Mega Ovals large Nestie and matted with a Petite Scalloped Oval Large. Does anyone but me get confused by these names? the sentiment is popped with a 1/16" dot and Tiny Dancer with 1/8" dimensionals. for the flower, I layered pink and orange tulle and cut it with my Tim Holtz Tattered Florals die. These thick dies do work in the Cuttlebug by eliminating the A Plate and sandwiching the die and what ever you're cutting between 2 B Plates. The layers (6 in all) are secured with a sparkly Doodlebug brad. There's a little tulle bow at the top, and some amethyst adhesive jewels for embellies.

Come on, peeps, this is not that tough a challenge! There has been a change in the Tiddly Inks Challenge criteria requiring the use of TI images only, but there are FREEBIES to be had HERE, and if you don't have any Nesties, you can check out some of the there ways the DT has created shaped cards. Christy even has a freebie Template available on her BLOG, so there's just no excuse! Christy is also previewing the adorable new images available this week so what are you waiting for? I'm also entering this in the Simon Says Stamp Mother'sDay/ Girly Challenge. Don't think I could get much more girly than this! AND on the Simon Says Stamp and Show Blog the challenge is Show a WORD! Mine is obviously "Dance".

Happy Birthday Susan, Deviant Digital Demon-ess!

The Minions at Haunted Design House are celebrating the birthday of one of our own by putting together a little celebratory romp! (Creepy Glo thought that up, sounds kinds twisted, no? ) Please join us in wishing Susan (our Deviant Digital Demon-ess) a totally wicked and spellbinding birthday! May all of your birthday nightmares (and I mean that in the best possible way) come true! Digital stamps by The Octopode Factory. The Pocketwatch is from Alice Elements and the Birthday Girl is from the Steampunk Ladies set. Birthday hat is a rubber stamp from from Scrolls Work. Design Paper by Graphic 45. The springs are hand made, and the nifty eyeball spinners are from Tim Holtz. Of course since I suck so badly at sending things out Susan, you may expect this card sometime before your NEXT birthday. (But I wouldn't be holding your breath.) LOL I'm also entering this in the Simon Says Stamp Challenge which this week is Anything Goes AND the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge which is Show Some Metal (the clock springs and game spinner eyes) 'cause I'm feeling lucky! Have a great day! xx