Trick or Treat

This is my second make for the 31 Days Of Halloween, which is taking place over at the Smeared Ink blog, sponsored by Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda. You can check out the Design Teams daily inspiration at the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity.

Here is my make, featuring Carmen's Veranda stamps Large People Skull and Grunge white swirl background. I also used the Old Typewriter Alphabet from Lost Coast Designs :

The skull image is so great. I stamped it onto glossy card stock in black versamark and embossed it with clear embossing powder. I then added more definition to the shaded parts of the image using grey distress ink and a cut n dry pen nib.

I really love the grunge backgrounds, they are so versatile. I used the white one here stamped over a distress ink background and acrylic splatters. The words are white heat embossed.

The 'Trick or Treat' amused me, both words are pretty relevent to this image ... LOL. Love the sexual innuendo :)

Thanks for stopping by x

Have a Wicked Wednesday !

I got particularly colorful this week creating my ATC for Wicked Wednesday ATC Challenge blog. I really enjoy Oddball Arts images, look at this gorgeous witch, Tiffany the Terrible, Img 79B :

                             

This is a single layer atc, colored with copics, the letters from an alpha sticker pack by Ranger.

I loved the sentiment, so perfect with Halloweeen coming up ...

Thanks for stopping by x

Funky Colored Hair ATC

This weeks Wicked Wednesday challenge is funky colored hair, my make using Lacy Sunshines Rory lets down her hair :

The Rory image is colored with copics. I fussy cut Rory, adding some wink of stella pen to her funky streaks in her hair. 

The background is painted with dylusions paint in crushed grape, with some white randomly mixed in to some spots. Then a added some small white splats. 

I matted the colored background onto white and stamped and cut out the sentiment. She looks like she is looking out, thinking, longing for something ... or someone ?

Its always so fun at Wicked Wednesday, come and join us :)

Zombie Birthday Card

What can I say, my sister likes zombies.

Here is her Birthday card, using images from Smeared Ink :

I used alcohol inks and acrylic paint for the background. The zombie is a digital image, I resized it to fit the tag. The zombie is colored with copics. I stamped the building and sponged it with distress ink. The words are printed from my typewriter, and added on top of a layer of washi.

Thanks for stopping by x

'Put a Bird on It' ATC

My make for 'Put a Bird on it' ATC trade, over at Vera Lane Studios facebook group :

I used one of the images from the Ladies who lunch set, and the cockatoo is a freebie in the facebook group :)

The background is made with a Dylusions stencil and acrylic ground for pastels, then I used a Dylusions spray for the yellow sun, the rest was sponged with distress ink. The images are colored with copics and I used fluffy stuff to simulate the bird poop ! LOL I decided to add the white border to accentuate the image, and typed the word 'crap!' on my typewriter. I used a versamark pen and clear embossing powder for the birds feet and beak. The eyes have a layer of diamond glaze.

I have no idea where this little artwork will be headed ... but hope my partner likes it :)

Witches, bats or cats ....

Todays challenge at Wicked Wednesday is Witches, Bats or Cats.

I have used Winifred from Alicia Bel for my ATC. She is casting a spell .... wonder what it is ?

I colored Winifed with Copics. 

The ATC background is made with red and blue alcohol inks on a resist cardstock. I wanted the feeling of movement behind her, so I added gold alcohol ink and moved it around. The ground was made with a gold pen, then I added clear embossing powder. I edged the ATC with blue artist pitt pen.

I actually took another photo of this and angled it a little towards the light, the gold is positively glowing :

Thanks for stopping by x

Trick or Treat at Wicked Wednesday

Wicked Wednesday is sponsored by Sami Stamps this week, the 179th challenge is Trick or Treat. I have colored this gorgeous Witch Beauty image with copics :

I upcycled a Skittles packet for the dress of my witch. 

I personally think she has taken Trick or Treating a bit far this year ! LOL

Then darn it ... the packet was open, so I ate them ! Hahaha

Thanks for stopping by, Nikki x

Hey There Tag

I had fun making this cute tag, featuring one of the Crazy Birds by Tim Holtz. This tag is in the mail today to Anne in the USA. It is accompanying an ATC, as part of the multimedia ATC trade group I am in. Is this the time to admit it ... I am a serial trader .... LOL

The background is a print from a soft plate, with extra detail and a sentiment added. The crazy bird is colored with Neocolor II's and a little pom pom added for his tail. He might look sad, but actually, hes just thinking ... LOL.

Thanks for stopping by x

Everything Dances

Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda are sponsoring Smeared Ink's 31 Days of Halloween. Every day for the duration of the event, fabulous Halloween inspired art will be shared by the Design Team at the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity.

For today, here is my make :

For this standard sized card I have used the larger skeleton from Dancing Skeletons. I stamped the skeleton in memento black and added depth and shading with copics, cool greys. I outlined the image in black and fussy cut it.

The background was so fun .... I got the idea for the background behind the skeleton from a Youtuber Shana Conroy, a video entitled Dreams. Basically I painted the background with black gesso, then sprayed dylusions sprays and let it dry. I then splashed watered down white gesso onto the background, put a layer of paper on top and pulled it off. Because dylusions sprays react with water, they started to color the white gesso. I let it dry. Doesn't it look awesome, a perfect backdrop for the skeleton - thanks Shana :)

I layered this card, matting the black with distressed yellow card stock, and I stamped Carmen Veranda's grunge black swirl background onto the card base which I had first colored with distress inks.

The finishing touch was the words, which I typed on my typewriter. Cut them out and edged in black. I love Maya Angelou, and this quote from her suited this project perfectly I think.

Here is a closer look at the card :

I really enjoyed making this card ... so I decided to make a few artist trading cards too :

I used the exact same techniques and stamps, except for the stamping on the blue background. I used the same grunge black swirl, but this time I used the new ATC sized one. How great to have a smaller version for ATC's. The grunge backgrounds are really great, and there are a whole host of ATC background stamps available at Lost Coast Designs.

The words were quite amusing for one of the ATC's. Who remembers the hit from 1993, "Boom! Shake the Room"? Quite amusing the link the old-school hip-hop with the dancing skeleton.

Hope you found some inspiration here and please pop over to The Lost Coast Portal to Creativity and Smeared Ink to see the other gorgeous pieces :) 

Viva Las Vegas Stamps postcard trade

I decided to join in a postcard trade at Viva Las Vegas Stamps. We had to make four 4x6" postcards, mail them and then get three back from other players :) One will be be displayed in the store. 

The title was Fall Harvest. Here was the glitch ... All my VLVS images are quirky and weird beings. I did not have a single fall or Halloween image ... So I improvised :

Here is my make using Some of the Dr Who images from plate o rubber 925 

I was quite amused making this, that she is covering her eyes. I am a big Dr Who fan, its such a wonderful and quirky show, glad I finally got to use this stamp set I bought recently.

The background is made with Dylusions paints, there is lots of embossing, fussy cutting and stamping, close up :

 And here are my four postcards, all on their way to DeeDee at the store in Las Vegas, hope my swap partners like them :)

Thanks for stopping by, Nikki x

Catching Stars

The challenge this week at Wicked Wednesday ATC Challenge Blog is Orange and Black. We are sponsored by Creepie Cute Stamps and I had this stunning 'Catching Stars' image to work with.  I colored her with copics, and the stars are punched from black cardstock :

Every week there is a new ATC challenge at Wicked Wednesday, if you like to make ATC's come and join us. You dont need a blog to link up, you can use any online gallery, for example pinterest or even the Wicked Wednesday facebook group gallery :)

Thanks for stopping by, hope you found some inspiration here x

Harvest Moon ATC

A great September topic for our local ATC trade, Harvest Moon.

Here is my creation :

I created the background with Dylusions paints and a sponge, then edged it in black stazon ink and used my stencilling brush to add the white highlights across the centre of the ATC. The image is from a set by Stampscapes Symmetry Sheet Set #1, called 'Suns and Moons'. It is amongst my favourite stamp sets, but I am quite the fan of all things lunar.

I stamped the moon in navy blue ink, then sponged it lightly with wild honey distress ink, adding some tea dye around the edges. I lightly colored the lips with Victorian Velvet and used my white gel pen to whiten the eyes. I then embossed the moon in a couple of layers of clear gloss embossing powder and adhered it to the ATC front.

The wording 'Over the moon' is done with Tim's alpha stickers.

I really liked how this turned out, the flat matt background against the glossy moon is so great in real life.

Hope my recipients like them :) 

Thanks for stopping by x

Single Layer Card

The current challenge over at the Lost Coast Portal for Creativity is to make a Single Layer Project.

I have used Carmen's Veranda Birds Background stamp to make this card.

This Carmen's Veranda background stamp is gorgeous and actually bigger than an average card front. I made a standard 4.25" x 5.5" card. 

The background is sprayed with Dylusions, then I stamped the image with archival ink. I then spent some time using a paint brush to color the image, with various inks and stains. I love coloring, and can see the fascination with coloring books, its just so relaxing and therapeutic.

Here is my work in progress :

To finish off, I added some dark brown and white gel pen detail and accents. My final touch was to sponge on some yellow distress ink to tone it down a little, and I matted and mounted the card front.

Hope you found some inspiration here, and perhaps you will come and join the challenge to make a single layer project, there are two days left to join us. It can be tricky to not add layers and embellish a card, but I think this image is gorgeous enough without. 

Reminder that you can use any images you want to join the challenge at the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity, but if you use Lost Coast Designs or Carmen's Veranda images you get a double entry to win the prize.

Hope to see you there x

Furry friends

This week at wicked Wednesday ATC challenge blog we are being sponsored by Fred, She Said. The challenge is furry friends and I have used Rosie with Flower : 

Worn Out or tattered ATC

This months Stampotique challenge was 'Worn out or tattered'. This shabby chic, distressed sort of look is not my normal style, but hey, its good to go outside your comfort zone. One element of course remains : humour. My ATC :

I wanted to do a cameo but none of my Stampotique stamps had profiles - except the Old Timey Frog. So, here he is, featuring in his own cameo ATC. I included the handlebars on the bike because be looked like the Loch Ness Monster without them ! LOL. 

Lots of layers here, of pattered paper, lace, card stock etc, and it is all distressed and inked with walnut stain. I used liquid pearls around the frame and crackle glaze behind the frog. The letters are Tim Holtz letter stickers.

These ATC's are now winging their way to Australia and UK - hope my partners like them :)

A Very Vera Halloween

Vera Lane Studios is having an ATC trade over on the facebook group, I just love to create and trade. Receiving art in the mail from someone else can often be the highlight of the day, and most definitely better than receiving a bill !

My make, featuring the little witch and pumpkin from the Halloween set :

The witch and pumpkin are resized and printed, then I colored them with inktense pencils, adding a little prisma color for depth when the ink was dry. I added the 6's (get it ... 666 sign of the Devil ?? LOL) and a few other highlighted parts with a gelli roll pen.  I added some straw hair.

The background is black gesso, with added white gesso and alcohol inks. I added the white details with a signo white gel pen and the sentiment is from a Halloween photopolymer set from Stampin' Up!

Unfortunately I opened the bag of Skittles intending only to use a bit of the wrapper for this ATC .... But ended up eating them - It was a set up ! LOL

Thanks for stopping by x

Wanted !

This weeks Wicked Wednesday challenge is 'Cowgirls or Cowboys'. We are sponsored by Crafty Sentiments and I have used this cute image called Mia-Howdy.

Mia is so sweet, I thought it was funny to put her into a WANTED poster. No idea what the reward would be, not very much I imagine so probably not worth a Bounty Hunters time LOL.

Mia is colored with copics, the wanted and frame printed on my printer. I inked and scrunched up the poster, adding a nail aka brad to the top. The patterend paper is from my stash.

Why not stop by Wicked Wednesday and check it out :)

Insanity Strolls Through .....

Today I am sharing a fun make with you that you might have seen in the August Circles Challenge on the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity. This is the new image : Ballerina with Fish from Carmen's Veranda. How great and original is he :)

The circles were punched out of thick card stock and added to the postcard. I then used my new Dylusions paints to finger paint the background. I stamped and clear embossed the Whitecaps Background stamp from Lost Coast Designs to add some watery texture around the fish - you can just see it in the pic. I mean, the fish may be on a leash, but he still needs to be able to breath - right ! LOL

The Ballerinas dress is colored with distress inks and blending stubbs. The skin and hat are colored with my copics. I fussy cut the image and clear embossed it.

I used my fine liner with fluid white arylic paint to add the detail and dots around the circles to accentuate them, then I glued my ballerina on top, going around him with grey inktense pencil and shadowed the ground where he is standing.

I printed the wording from my computer, cut them out and added to my circles with co-ordinating finger painting. Doesn't the wording work perfectly with the image :

"Insanity does not run in my family.

It strolls though."

Can you think of any other great quotes to accompany this image ? Please share if you do ...

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you found some inspiration here, Nikki :)

Some fun Vera Lane Studios makes

I have some Vera Lane Studios creations to share with you today. These were made for the Wicked Wednesday challenge 'Splatters and Sprays' and also for Vera Lane's first ATC trade, Anything Goes, at the facebook group.

For this first ATCs I have used one of the images from the Clarence and Wilson set :

I used a retired Stampin Up set, gorgeous grunge, for the splatters, stamped them in red and then also embossed them in white. The image is colored with copics, the letters from a Ranger sticker set. What a lovely memory of that day :)

For my second ATC I have used the girl from the Quirky Zombie Set :

The background is paper towel from my spray box, where I have sprayed with Dylusions sprays. It was an awesome pattern and color, and  like the added texture so it became my background. The zombie girl is colored with prisma color pencils, and the Ranger stickers added. I imagine her curtseying in a pageant or maybe for a King or Queen :)

Hope you will come and join the fun at Wicked Wednesday, you could win some images :)

Hope you found some inspiration here, thanks for stopping by x

Altered Magazine Image ATCs

At the Mixed Media ATC trade group, the challenge was altered magazine images. It was actually my suggestion so I had to play ...

I can't tell you what a struggle it was. I have watched lots of youtube videos on this type of collage (Packerdi in particular rocks it), but when I came to actually do it, and cut up a fashion magazine and brochures and other paper materials I had amassed, it was so hard to know what to put where. Decided to try a few things out and heres the results :

It was fun to try out, but I think if I ever do it again I need to leave myself more time and spend longer looking and thinking. Thats what I like about a challenge, always learning :)

Thanks for stopping by x

Return to School ATC

This weeks sponsor of Wicked Wednesday ATC Challenge Blog is Oddball Arts, the title is Back to School. 

Here is my creation, using this gorgeous image, Miss Ann Thrax (image 102) and spooky wording also from Lizzy Love at Oddball Arts :

My new teacher is a spy and for that I am sure
For why else would she carry that bloody eye around with her ?

I resized and printed Miss Ann Thrax small, as you can see here on this 2.5" x 3.5" ATC. I like a challenge when coloring with my copics... LOL. I wanted to see the paper behind her and add this quote from Lizzy Love. 

Come and check out the awesome inspiration and entries over at Wicked Wednesday.

Thanks for stopping by x

Housewife tag

I made this tag for my ATC trade partner, over at the Vera Lane Studios facebook group :

This tag features one of The Housewives :

The background is acrylic paints, then I used whipped spackle through a stencil and while it was wet I sprinkled on some Stampendous gold glass glitter. The housewife is colored with copics and the wording 'Capture Life' is from another Vera Lane Studios set called The Photographer. 

Finally I drew around the edge and added some fabric to the tag top :) 

Thanks for stopping by, I think there is something for everyone over at Vera Lane Studios, go check it out :)

See Ya

I do enjoy making tags, I also enjoy a little humor, the two are combined here :

The idea for the wording of 'See ya' came from the hand-wing. It reminds me of when people do that dismissive behind their back wave as they walk away.  'See ya' is a farewell.

I have used a TH manilla tag #8, blue acrylic paint watered down and applied in random strokes. When it was dry I went over it with spiced marmalade distress stain. It now looks green, isn't that awesome. I used the fourth dimension stamp from Lost Coast Designs for the floor and I added a little of the stamp detail all over the tag. Then some whipped spackel through a stencil. I made a separate tag and did the same background, but I stamped it with the licence plate alphabet from Lost Coast Designs and cut out the individual letters.

The gorgeous gal you see here is from the Doodle dolls 1 set also from Lost Coast Designs. She is stamped in stazon, colored with Neocolor 2's and markers. I added some white detail to her dress and stamped and embossed her crown in gold. I also embossed the edges of the tag in gold and added some gold sequins and twine.

Hope you found some inspiration here, thanks for stopping by x

Big Eyed Cowgirls and Cowboy

Today I would like to share a couple of projects using some images from Carmen's Veranda, love the Big Eyed Girls and Boy images.

Firstly I made this mail art :

It was so cool when I wrote the address on , it  now says : "Are you Liz (name and address) feeling lucky'.  LOL

The background is dylusions sprays, then I creased the envelope and sponged a little green onto the ground to give it some texture. I stamped the postcard background and I used the old typewriter alphabet from Lost Coast Designs for the wording. The big eyed girl and boy are stamped in stazon, colored with inktense pencils and fussy cut. I sponged the edges and added white gel pen detail.

 I like to make Altered Playing Cards (APC's) and Artist Trading Cards (ATC's) and these images are the perfect size.

I have used Big Eyed Shooter Girl for this APC:

I love the Western theme, and the monochromatic look. 

Just a reminder about our challenge blog, The Lost Coast Portal to Creativity, this months challenge is Zentangle. 

Hope you will come and join us :) Nikki x

Adding faux stitching to an ATC

I love to do faux stitching, its so easy and effective to make the holes with a piercing tool and link them with a white gel pen. Here is my make for Wicked Wednesdays 'Stitching' challenge, sponsored by That Craft Place. This is Love from Sugar :

The background is distress ink onto gloss cardstock. I love the cotton candy colors :) Sugar is printed, colored with copics and fussy cut. I punched additional hearts, she is spreading the love far and wide ...

The faux stitching is added as the ground for Sugar to stand on. I quite liked that idea. I don't like my images un-grounded, just floating in space, and often I use washi tape for the group, but loved the stitching here :)

Wicked Wednesday does Zodiac Signs

Sassy Studio Designs is this weeks sponsor at Wicked Wednesday, and the challenge is zodiac signs. I have used the Pisces image : 

I sized the image and printed it onto X-Press it card stock, this is my favorite for digital image and copics coloring. I used my Wink of Stellar pen to add shimmer to the mermaids tails. I googled the characteristics of a Pisces, and printed out some words from my computer, I tore the edges of the words. Finally I matted the ATC onto a co-ordinating card stock and then added matt medium to some areas and used Crystal glass beads for the bubble effect in the water. 

Thanks for stopping by, please leave me a comment and come and join our zodiac challenge :)

Zentangle

The July challenge at the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity is Zentangle. 

Here is my make. I have used an image from Carmen's Veranda called Renaissance Madonna. I have zentangled her hair and added a few white highlights. 

Here is the actual image before it was zentangled, you can see the open areas in the area - perfect for this zentangle challenge :

The background is distress ink, then I stamped the image in black stazon. I used a pitt pen to add the zentangle detail to her hair and white gel pen. I then made a mask, stamped the flying birds in the background and added some white splashes of watered down white acrylic paint. Then with distress paint I highlighted around her and the border. I doodled nonsense words in a circle around her head to further accentuate the glow. 

Zentangle is fun, I hope you will take on the challenge and come to join is. 

Hope to see you there x

Alice in Wonderland blog hop

How fun is this Alice in Wonderland blog hop organized by Suzi Baker McKenzie to celebrate the 150th Birthday of the book. If you are doing the hop you will have arrived here from Jenn's blog.

I am an Alice fan. Every time I see or read it I am filled with wonder both at the wonderful weirdness, and the writing just blows me away.

My favorite character .... let me give you a clue, it has long ears .....

My creation :

I made this postcard with Dylusions sprays, and the words are typed on my new trusty typewriter. The rabbit is from a set by Lost Coast Designs.
I love this white rabbit image :

I also made ATC's with three of the Four Alices from Lost Coast Designs. This is Alice falling down the rabbit hole, wondering to herself as she falls :"What latitude or longitude I've got to ?"

"Alice had not the slightest idea what Latitude was, or Longitude either, but she thought they were nice grand words to say".

Each layer is colored with distress ink, the holes punched and offset. I used a ripples stamp from Art Journey for the swirly pattern, stamped in brown.  The Alice's are stamped, colored with copics and fussy cut. I added dimensional between each layer, hopefully you can see the depth in the close up :

And here are all three ATC's I made : 

Now off you go to Black Dragons blog. Thanks for stopping by, enjoy the hop.

The full blog hop list, dont get lost, dont fall down any rabbit holes !

Today we are celebrating the 150th Anniversary of Alice in Wonderland, and what better way to do that, than to share lots of creative projects inspired by this wonderful story.

Not only will you see lots of amazing artwork today, but you can also win prizes from the following amazing companies;

The Stamping Boutique

Rick St Dennis MFA

Faery Ink

That Craft Place

Ike's Art

Delicious Doodles

Sweet Pea Stamps

Sassy Studio Designs

Vera Lane Studio Digital Stamps

Prize winners will be selected from Random blogs throughout the hop using Random.org to select each winner.  In order to be eligible for a prize you must visit all stops on the hop and leave a comment. The prize draws will be open until July 18th, with winners announced on July 20th.

Here's my Alice in Wonderland inspired project;

Blog Hop List

Suzi

Alison

Trudie

Sharon

Milo

Donna

Leigh

Claudia

Leadonna

Nan

Jenn

Nikki

Black Dragon

Teresa

Ike

Creepy Glowbugg

Shelley

Alana

Harp

Lori

Monica

Kemly

Margaret

Julie

Katie

Julie W S

Kathi
Karen
Corrie
Emily
Geraldine
Carol
Avril
Lisa
Kim
Mo
Lorraine

Making gift packs of cards

So much fun to make card packs as gifts.  

Here is the set I made, using predominantly Viva Las Vegas Stamps, although the dog in the hammock is Stampotique :

I don't have brusho's, but I love the look so attempted to recreate it here using Dylusions sprays, I think it worked out pretty well actually :) I wet the card stock then removed the spray nozzle from the bottles and splatted (highly technical term! LOL) the ink onto the card stock. The colors ran and blended. Images stamped onto white card stock, colored and fussy cut.

Sending cards as gifts, I mean how much would each cost in a store ? And could you even get some original and textured pieces ? I sometimes feel that home made cards are under valued and people don't want to pay much for them, but would rather go into a store and pay $5 plus for a printed one ? Makes no sense to me .... 

Here is each individual card : 

Thanks for stopping by :)