Who's your Momma?

Whew! Last week was a rough one, but I made it through.

Why is the word fun in funeral anyway?

As sick as I am (in the head), I have yet to have fun at one.

I decided to work on my Mother's Day cards, since it

 is quickly approaching and I have to send mine to Texas.

I finally got to use this beautiful image from Simply B stamps.

My dear friend, Andrea purchased this one for me a while back.

I used an embossing folder on the background, then accented

the embossing with some Burlap Distress ink, and some half pearls.

I also did a little cleaning up in Gimp, and removed some

pieces from the image to better suit my taste.

I colored her up using only two Copics, E81 and E87.

Glued on some fleurs and voila!

For this one I used one of the stunning flower images from

the uber talented, Teri at Delicious Doodles.

I added some black lace and some black half beads

to compliment the image with a nice contrast. 

My Mother's favorite color (or lack of) is black, so this

one is probably going to Texas.

Being a native California girl, I am drawn to the ocean

(even dungeon dwellers need sun sometimes) and poppies.

I decided to go with the Copic R20's instead of the

typical orange California poppy to color this one.

It is so easy to color this image with the wonderful shading

already included.

I have a couple more cards to get made for Mother's Day,

and then I am on to Father's Day. Yay.

I will be back tomorrow with a killer card for my

nephew's birthday. He likes Nazi Zombies.

That's my boy! 



Sweet Pea Sundae

I made this one for a friend who has some Japanese themed

tattoo work and had a birthday on 4/20.

I used Sakura Spirit by Meredith Dillman

for Sweet Peas stamps.

For the coloring, I pretty much just stayed in

the Copic R20's and the E40's.

A very new color palette for me.

I used papers from The Far East DCWV stack.

I really like those papers and wish I remembered to use

them more. Such pretty muted colors and a nice linen texture. 

I also Stickled the fleurs and the fancy piece in her hair.

I went with nice blue green eyes and matched them with

a couple of rhinestones for sparkle.

   

  

Loaded to the Gunwalls!

I have done it. I have amazed myself at how

awesome this card turned out.

This week's Macabre Monday challenge is

Pirate's Booty.

We are sponsored by Delicious Doodles.

Teri has a bunch of awesome images to play with.

I wanted to use them all.

I also had a birthday card to make for a friend's

daughter who is into pirates, and skulls and stuff.

Perfect timing!

I needed a card design that would accommodate all of

images I so greedily wanted to use.

Step card, here I come! 

Not bad for a first try.

This is so easy to do, it's kinda stupid.

I messed it up once, despite how easy it is though.

The measurements make all of the difference. 

Kinda like baking, and I suck at that too!

I cut a piece of card stock to 10.5" x 5.25".

I scored it at 1.25", 2.5", 4.25", 6", and 8.25".

I used a MS scoreboard, which made all of the

scoring much easier and less intimidating.

I just folded each step in an accordian fashion,

and it nearly made itself! 

After coloring the wench, the map, and the zombie,

I fussy cut all of the images out, but the hardest to cut was

that ship silhouette. It was so worth it though.

I glittered it with black fine glitter, and added some chunkier

blue glitter beneath it like the deep blue sea. Backed with a big

vellum moon really finished it all off and added some

stability for the ship and it's delicate cuts.

My favorite image of all is this incredible

Zombie Pirate.

He's available today in Teri's shop,

Delicious Doodles.

Just a quick peek into my madness.

What ISN'T on my workdesk Wednesday is more like it!

When I tell people I am a stay at home Mom, they almost

always say, "How do you do it? Don't you get bored?"

Umm, no... I'm always making something.

Usually, many things at once. I am an artiste!

This is my first attempt at sgraffito. I plan to cover the entire

skull with flourishes and schtuff and then add neon accents

with 3D paints before firing. The skull will be all black.

Slow and steady, but it's coming along.



Pink and Black

This week's challenge over at

Dilly Beans Fridays Challenge

is Shades of Pink and Black.

As soon as I saw this painting

on Megan's Etsy site, I snatched it up

(along with a couple others), and the same goes

for when I saw the digital image for sale on her

digi site.

This is "Day of the Dead Frida" from

Dilly Beans Stamps.

I did give her a bit of a tweeze,

and removed her Frida unibrow. I guess I should have at

least left her eyebrows. Oh well.

I had no problem with the pink and black color scheme.

I used some RV02 on her face for shading, but

I wasn't able to pick it up on camera.

I really dig this card.

Thanks for the challenge Dilly Beans!

This card is also my third and final entry into the

Oozak challenge - Anything goes 

Sweet Card Sundae

I realize that I am not known for my cute card style,

but unfortunately, I cannot give Grandma Great a card

with skulls and monsters on it for her birthday.

Sometimes, I have to make cards for the masses, the norms,

the straight laced, and even the religious. Yup, I said it.

I won't say it again though...

So I chose this day of the week to display the cute

side of this creepy bugg. If you don't come here for cute,

... see ya tomorrow.

You have been warned.

Bubble bath = happiness

Discontinued rubber image from Paper Makeup Stamps.

They only have digital images available now.

So sad.

I hope rubber doesn't got the way of the vinyl record

or the hardback book.  

Total sucker for Mo Manning's babies.

How bleepin' cute, right?

Perfect for a boy or a girl card too. Double duty digi.

Nice.

I have had this "Fly Away" Greeting Farm set for years.

Refused to part with it, and now finally used it.

And destashed this bright, happy paper and

some rhinestones too. 

I have been quite busy coloring images lately.

I'll be making more projects this week to strike a balance

between the creepy and the cute.

Don't wanna lose my Creepy Bitch card.

It's not beneath the Minions to call a mutiny.

Awww, such a sweet little Walker....

I mentioned before that I have a new printer.

It is the shiznit! I have been printing digis onto killer stock

and coloring my arse off!

I finally had to stop myself, and actually put something

together.

I think I love her.

She is called, Zombie Niamh, from

Saturated Canary.

I colored her skin in with Copics using Ws and YGs.

I was compelled to make her a redhead for some reason,

which led to the use of teal and blue violet.

No rhyme or reason for any of it,

but she turned out pretty sweet.

 

I am back on the "destashing" bandwagon, and have

managed to use some hoarded paper fleurs, a green stick pin,

and a "I love zombies" charm. I also added a handmade

RIP headstone (from my  extremely talented fellow Minion,

Andrea) flatback to the centre of the fleur.

Oh, and Stickles. Lots of Stickles.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Oozak challenge blog- anything goes

Use it Tuesday - #29 Anything Goes

Anything Challenge - Anything Goes

Tuesday Throwdown - use stick pin(s)    

Forever Night - wicked Creation

Card Makin' Mamas - make it girlie

Crafty Creations challenge - flower power

Divas by Design - charmed I'm sure 

Homage to Hitchcock

It's time for another Wretched Wednesday project!

This week's Macabre Monday challenge at HDH
is to find inspiration with something

Alfred Hitchcock either said, or directed.

He was always one for a wry quip, and don't even get me

started on his films. The man was brilliant beyond words.

"A boy's best friend is his Mother". 

I have always had a soft spot for Norman Bates.

In fact, I joke around with my son about our

"Bates-like" relationship.

He likes the quote about me being his best friend.

He doesn't really get it though, does he?

Anyhoo,

I decided to show you a smattering of what might have

been for sale in the Bates Motel gift shop.

I had so much fun making all of this swag!

Now you have to have a box of Norman Bates matches.

I UTEE'd the picture on the box, but not completely.

I like the wet, droplets of water look it gives the photo.

I UTEE'd the Bates Motel sign and added a magnet on the back.

I also framed up a cool photo of Mister Hitchcock

holding the marker for "Psycho". 

That photo is by far one of the coolest ones I found online.

Such a unique view of the manor with what looks like Norman

striking an ominous pose out front.

I aged it with TH Distress Inks and a sanding block.  

Lastly, we have what could be used as a paper weight

and a useful key chain.

I sculpted the face of Mrs. B using the picture on the key fob

as my reference. I think she turned out pretty good considering

I didn't have the proper wool for her bun.

Hmm, maybe it's Mister Bates.

What ever happened to him?

As you can see, it is quite easy to find inspiration in the works

of Alfred Hitchcock. You can just google him and find all sorts of

stories, films, and quotes to choose from.

You have until this Sunday at 5 PM CST to enter at HDH!!

A couple of years ago, I went to Universal Studios with my

family. I used to live in So. Cal, but I hadn't been to

Universal since I was a kid.

The Psycho House was always my favorite part of the tram ride

around the back lots of Universal Studios. 

I was so surprised that they had updated the experience with a

special appearance by none other than...

... Norman himself!!!

I thought people were going to jump off the ride

when Norman turned towards them with that knife

and started for the tram! 

We even got a close up of the house!

Apparently, the only part of the house that was built to scale

was the front porch and door. All of the interior scenes

were filmed on a sound stage. The house was only a two sided

facade when it was originally built for the movie.

 I snapped this picture of the Hitchcock bust on my

way out of Universal Studios.

Not much of a looker, but what a brilliant man.

 

...scoopin' up the field mice and choppin' off their heads!

I can't believe it's Wednesday already!

This new year is just zippin' by.

My husband hooked me up with an awesome
new Canon printer and I have been printing digis onto
thick ass Papertrey Ink paper and kraft card stock all day.
Since I have been using digis for the past few years,
the only stock my old printer would feed was
 SU Whisper White.
That's right, I almost didn't know what I was missing.
Now I am a coloring fiend!

Next up, to figure out how to use the scanner and
maybe draw up a digi or two. The possibilities are
endless at this point.

I had such a blast working on this week's challenge at HDH.

Our sponsor is The Octopode Factory and we

got to use some new images from Lily.

I chose to play with the
Day of the Dead couple.

And I used the bodies of Tweedle Dee and Dum

from the Octopode's Alice in Wonderland line.

I kept the color scheme really simple with warm greys

and reds, with the thought that it conveyed the

feel of romance.

Plus, I spend way too much time choosing my colors,

so this ended up being a quicker process than usual.    

I glittered her veil and the accents around her eyes.

Everyone knows that a bride has to sparkle!

I used quite a bit of black Doodlebug fine glitter

on his moustache and goatee, and I added some

red Stickles around the eye for more sparkle. 

I added a couple of red half pearls for some interest.

It's rather simple, but I like it.

And I finally got to showcase this gorgeous tattered

rose ribbon I received from the Mistress herself.

I cut out a single red rosette and added it to the center

of the black ones with a snot dot.

Fabulous!!!

This is a really fun and creative challenge.

Just chop the head off of something and put it

on the body of something else!

You act like you've never done this before.

There is still lots of time to play along.

You have until this Sunday at 5PM CST.

And don't forget,

there is a $15 gift certificate from The Octopode Factory

for one lucky winner too!   

I'd like to enter this card in the

Anything Goes challenge at the Oozak challenge blog.