Hogs and Sketches - Goulash

The kids over at Hambo decided to change things up a bit this month

and make this challenge a bit more, um, ... challenging.

All the DT members had an (un)knowing part in this potpourri of a challenge.

We  were all asked a random question regarding our favorite color, embellishment, technique, etc., and then a recipe was made and we were asked to adhere to it.

This was my very first attempt at paper piecing (thanks, MacKenzie).
Everything that is red or purple on the main image has been pain stakingly, cut out by hand and glued into place, by yours truly.
I am happy with how it turned out and may actually use this technique again someday.

The color combo is very, 'Red Hat', but it works. I like the smaller size card, since I used this larger image, it kept things simple. And who doesn't like Dew Drops?  

This was a fun challenge and it really took me out of my comfort zone and thought box.

I am really fond of this new digital image from Hambo.

So many options for this one.

So, don't be a chicken. Join us over at Hambo for this month's Hogs and Sketches challenge.

Pick up a rubber or a digital image (there are some freebies too!) over at the website, and get busy being creative.

I double dog dare ya!

The Far East Grows Horns

Here is my second submission for this week's

Macabre Monday Challenge,

over at Barb's, Haunted Design House blog. 

'Gothic Asian Persuasion" is the theme.

I think I nailed it.

This guy was just begging' for some horns!

I also elongated his ears and then I clear embossed the entire image

so I could blend in the background color.

Note to self: be neater next time you clear emboss.

    

I went over the scroll work inthe background with a Sakura glitter glaze pen.

Aside from the shoddy clear embossing, I think it turned out pretty cool.

So Inspired

When I first found out about Barb, and her Haunted Design House blog I was a fan instantly! I felt as though I had found a kindred spirit in Barb, and her love of the macabre and Halloween.

I made a promise to myself that I would participate in ALL of the fabulously inspiring challenges that Barb comes up with every Monday, for her "Macabre Monday Challenges".

Well, I haven't played along in a loooong time. Too long actually. I have made projects, but I seem to keep missing the deadline (5 o'clock!!!), or I never quite finish what I was working on.

When I read this week's Macabre Monday challenge, I was instantly inspired and wasted no time getting my s*it together for this one!

 

I give you, "Gothic Asian Persuasion".

I have had this set for quite a while. I have always wanted to use it, but never had the right papers, or whatever. When I read the challenge I knew exactly how I was going to use these stamps.

For starters, there were a bunch of butterflies flying by the geisha and I turned them all into bats with the help of my Copic multiliner. I also gave her some 'sinister' eyebrows as well.

 

And I just knew I had to set fire to that pagoda.

(need to work on my flame coloring though)

I had great fun drawing and modifying these images to fit the challenge.

I had so much fun, I actually have 2 entries for this week's challenge, but I'm gonna save the second one for tomorrow.

What a tease.  

A Real Basket Case

I LOVE horror! I love horror movies, horrific artwork, horror novels, scary toys, all horror, old and new.

One of my passions lately has been to revisit some of my favorite horror films from the 70's, 80's, and 90's.

Titles like, "Killer Clowns from Outer Space", "Demons", "Pieces", "Xtro", "The Brood", "Phantasm,"and "Basket Case", have been dripping their "B" movie goo all over my DVD player lately.

Apparently, when I was in high school I had very little prejudice regarding the caliber of horror films I chose to watch. Some of the aforementioned titles have been almost agonizing to sit through. I can't believe the hokieness of some of the effects, and the inability to act frightened by most of the actors involved. Still better than most Troma films though (i.e."Toxic Avenger").

And still, I cannot turn away or stop myself from loading the next gem of 'B' Horror into my DVD player.

After watching the film, I just had to make a creepy little card using the artwork from the original trailer for "Basket Case".

This is still one of my favorite movies and I happen to share this fondness with my friend Robb, who is going to turn 40 next week.

I made him this card originally to wish him well on his recent home purchase and the pending arrival of his first child.

Funny, right?!

Well, after some thought, and the unsolicited advice of my husband, I made a cute baby card and just decided to give Robb this card for his birthday instead. 

  

I just LOVE the way the bloody drips came out!

Using 2 colors of red, and popping them up on dimensional dots really made this card ROCK!

I almost don't want to give it away.

Left over from V Day

Here is a card I forgot to post before Valentine's day.

 

I used the "Dinos in Love" digital image from Hambo.

I colored it in using my Copics and also added some Stickles to her claws and the hearts for a little bling. 

What the flock?!

Here we have my very first 'Wee Henry" card from Hambo.

It depicts Henry as a leprechaun, and I thought he was a perfect image to use with Hambo's hilarious, 2 part sentiment for St. Patrick's day.

  

I went ahead and just printed out the image twice, and then I used the pot of gold, but drew in some potatoes to go with the famine verbage.

 

I used another head for Henry since I messed up the skin tone on the original head. I used some orange flocking for Henry's beard and his strands of hair. I also got a bit crazy with the pot of gold and used 3 different colors of Stickles to really make that sucka sparkle!

  

When I grow up I want to be an old woman

Last Saturday, we celebrated my DH's Grandma's 80th birthday.

Wow! 80 years of living!

Not quite sure how I feel about that one. I'm going to be 40 this year, and to even begin to contemplate living for another 40 years gives me a headache!

Anyhoo,

 I made a really cute card for her using another Kraftin' Kimmie image.

This time I used "Posy" from the art of Annie Rodrigue.

I've had this little gal for quite a while and realized I hadn't inked her yet while I was organizing my ever growing collection of KK stamps.

Love the cherries on her pockets and I decided to use some of my 'precious' (said in the voice of Gollum, from Lord of the Rings) cherry paper from SU. I am a self admitted hoarder of paper crafting supplies and find it difficult to use some of my supplies because I like 'em too much to use 'em.

Stupid, I know.

Cute card though, huh?

Baby Viking

An old friend of mine is going to be a Dad for the first time, in a few weeks.

His baby shower (tee hee) is this weekend, so I 'whipped' up this adorable little card using the strawberry boy image from Bugaboo. I actually needed a baby girl, so I gave him a curl and some eyelashes, and it's a girl!

This was such a fun image to color, and it gave me a great area to practice blending with my Copics.

I am quite pleased with how this whole card turned out. I am especially stoked over the bow! It only took me half a dozen tries (and a yard of ribbon!) to get it perfect.

Oh yeah, let me explain the title of this post. My friend, we'll call him Robb, ('cause that's his name) is a huge Minnesota Vikings fan. For as long as I have known him - 25 years - he has been a fan, so I am assuming he will inflict this fanaticism on his newborn daughter.  I'm hoping to beat him to the punch on this one.

   

It's one of those ceramic mugs you get out of the gumball machines. It's so tiny and cute! I just added some ribbons to make it girly and now the little Miss can enjoy her grog while watching the game with Daddy next season.  

Genevieve, World Traveler

I have finally started to follow the 'thinking masses', and choose my papers, PRIOR to coloring my images.  

This takes hours off of my composition time! 

Gee, ya think?!

Only took me a year or so to figure this out, but I am amazed at how easily my projects are coming together these days.

This is 'Genevieve', another of the brilliant images drawn by Annie Rodrigue.

 

I adore these Steampunk images and really want to make them the focal point of the card, so I have been keeping the overall card very simple.

I added the word, 'wings' and a key brad that I have had for a while.

Inside, I added the tresure map accessory that came with Genevieve. 

Pretty simple,  but such a nice impact from the image alone.

Oh yeah, there is a new image release over at Kraftin' Kimmie's this weekend where she is unveiling new Annie Rodrigue images (and others).

The new Annie images are, PIRATES!!!

I think she is trying to provide my husband with a justified means of homicide. If he finds out how much money I have sent to KK in the past couple of months, he may just strangle me!  

I love to live life on the edge!  

Steampunk - my newest intrigue

Main Entry: steampunk
Part of Speech: n
Definition: Steampunk is a sub-genre of fantasy and speculative fiction that came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, and often Victorian era England—but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or real technological developments like the computer occurring at an earlier date. Other examples of steampunk contain alternate history-style presentations of "the path not taken" of such technology as dirigibles, analog computers, or digital mechanical computers (such as Charles Babbage's Analytical engine); these frequently are presented in an idealized light, or with a presumption of functionality.

Last year, I went to an event called, "Witchapalooza". I had a faint idea of what to expect, like a bunch of fat ladies dressed as witches selling their crafts and such. I am a fat lady who likes witches and likes to buy crafts and such, so I figured this was my kinda crowd.

I wasn't too far off on what was to be seen and purchased, but I was pleasantly surprised to happen upon a man who first used the term, "steampunk", and led me into a world of HG Wells Time Machine wonder.

So, when I was perusing the Kraftin Kimmie site, and came upon the most adorable, Steampunky images drawn by the uber talented, Annie Rodrigue, I about fell over trying to order them with lightning speed!  

First up is "Chester".

Chester comes with a pocket watch accessory, which I added to the inside of the card.

Next up is "Lavinia".

This little doll comes with her own 'gears', as an accessory (which I put inside), but I am currently on the lookout for actual watch/clock gears and cogs to use as embellishments.

This homemade jobber, was the best I could come up with so far. I had the cool brad which looked kinda antique and compass-like, adding to the old world flavor. I finally put some of those flower punches to use by making my own "Primas". Much cheaper and color coordinated to my project.

I have one more Steampunk image and card to share, but I think I'll save it for tomorrow.  

Super Bowl Weekend SALE

Because Hambo Stamps has a special fondness for PIGskin, they're celebrating Super Bowl Weekend (Feb. 6 & 7) by offering 30% off ALL in-stock regular-priced stamps (rubber & digital) and cling cushion! (The discount will not apply to stamps on our "Retiring" page which are already discounted a minimum of 50%) Quantities of the designs are limited, so all orders will be filled in the order in which they're received.

PLUS - Theye're offering a chance to win your entire order FREE! When you place your order, give them your best guess as to the FINAL point total of the game -- that is, the total of points that both teams have scored, added together. The first person to guess the exact total or come closest will receive their stamps free of charge! Please note that while the 30% off sale runs for two entire days, only orders received prior to kick-off will be in the running for the free stamps.

Just follow this link for all the sale specifics and to get started: Super Bowl Sale

Josephine's Love Potion #9

This is Josephine. She is one of my favorite new stamps from Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps.

Just in time for Valentine's Day comes Josephine and her magic love potion.

These stamps are incredible! The art is wonderful (I have artwork and magnets from the artist, Anne Rodrigue-she's amazing!!), and so much fun to color and create with. They even come with accessory stamps! How cool is that?! 

  

I kinda ran out of steam on this card only because I wanted to color some more images.

Get ready for a full on assault of Kraftin' Kimmie stamps and cards coming soon!  

Lovely little Ava

I am a night owl. I stay up so late you could say I'm a morning person. I sit in my craft room in front of the computer and surf all night long (when I'm not making cards).

During one of my "midnight surfing" sessions, I happened upon this gorgeous little anime fairy named, Ava at instylestamps.com.

   

I have quite a few different versions of Ava, so you'll be seeing more of her in the future.

I was going to enter this in Barb's Haunted Design House challenge (it's all about purple!), but I'm afraid Ava is too cute for Barb. I don't want to sully my creepy reputation by submitting something cutesy, or encourage any harrassment from the cool kids at Barb's hangout. 

I've still got time to make something ghoulish for the purple challenge.   

Someone had to say it

Today I bring you more jocularity from Hambo stamps.

The verbage on this card is one of my favorites.

It's part of a 2 part stamp. 

Hilarious!!!

I had to pair the verbage with this handsome little beast, also a Hambo image.

I kept the card pretty simple and only added some ink to make the card appear moldy.

I colored the beast in with Copics and that's about it for this one.

Follow the link in my sidebar to Hambo stamps and get some rubber or digital images so you can play along with this month's challenge .

All the cool kids are doing it! 

Bugaboo Challenge

One of my favorite new digital image companies is Bugaboo stamps.

I just adore the line called, "Skelekinz".

They have a challenge blog and I wanted to play along this week. The challenge this week is a non-traditional Valentine's Day card. No red or pink allowed!

 

I went directly to my favorite color, purple, and paired it with this awesome teal.

It wasn't much of a stretch to color the little skelly blue, since I'm assuming she is not in the world of the living anymore.

I broke out with my newest Nestie Label #9. Love it!

I even got a bit fancy with the flowers and the Stickles and the punky brad.

Lots of fun to make and I am hoping to place in the challenge since free images are up for grabs!

Hambo Hogs and Sketches challenge #5

Well, it's a new month, and that means a new sketch challenge from Hambo!

This month's sketch comes to us from the talented little flower, MacKenzie! 

I immediately knew I had to use this digital image from Hambo.

It was perfect for a cute Valentine's Day card.

I typed up the sentiment on my computer, colored the little romancing reptiles with my Copics, and added some Stickles to the heart shape and the heart brad for some bling.

 

Sssssso sssssweet!!!! 

Hop on over to Hambo and join in the fun. You could win your choice of rubber or maybe you'll win a digital image of your choice.

You have all month to play, and the only rules are to follow the sketch, and use a Hambo image or sentiment.

Don't have a Hambo image you say?!

Well, the kids at Hambo are generous enough to offer two FREE images to play with! 

What are you waiting for????!!!!!! 

Like a thief in the night,...

Here is a newer digital image from Hambo Stamps. I am still plotting my attack to make him "creepy", but so far, just a basic Valentine's card this time.

It was fun to color him in using my Copics and a monochromatic color scheme, with just enough red for contrast and interest.

I hand wrote the verbage on the front and wrote

"...you stole my heart", on the inside.

Head over to Hambo for this month's sketch challenge!