Saturday, June 30, 2012

Dilo En Espanol release blog hop

If you are joining me from the fabulous 
 Stefani
then you are in the right place. 
If you'd like to start this hop from the beginning, you can
start hopping right here.

Welcome! Bienvenido!
That's it for my Spanish, but I am so happy to be playing along
with the fabulous DT members from Dilo En Espanol and some of my
Dilly Beans DT members on this great hop!

What's the occasion you ask?
Well, the talented Megan Suarez (of Dilly Beans) has teamed up with
6 gorgeous images as clear acrylic stamps!!
Image of PRE-ORDER!!!!!NEW STAMPS! Collection of 6 image stamps!

Follow along on the hop and leave comments for all of the
amazing creativity you are enjoying.
Randomly drawn comments will be rewarded with some
wonderful crafting prizes of your very own!


I am using the gorgeous Camila  stamp on my card.
This image brought out the softer side of my crafting style.
I kinda like it.
Such a beautiful image and a great size for card making
and ATCs.
Megan's images are great fun to color with her bold outlines
and strikingly gorgeous faces. Perfect for so many occasions.
I even got to break out with my girly, summery accents.

Next up on the hop is

If you get lost along the way here is a list of all the blogs
participating in today's hop.


Dilo En EspaƱol- www.retosabby.com
Gloria- http://creepyglowbugg.blogspot.com/ - you are here!!

Friday, June 29, 2012

Dilly Beans tag challenge

Today's challenge theme at Dilly Beans Friday challenge is
tags.
I can count on one hand how many tags I have made
in my entire crafting career. Not that I have anything
against tags, I just don't use them much in my gift
giving. I usually just include a handmade card.
Until now.
I love making tags! So flippin' fun!!! And so much
faster to create than my marathon (2 hours minimum,
but usually even longer) cards. I am trying to work on
limiting my time spent on coloring to under 30 minutes,
but I can barely finish most images in less than an hour.
I'm kinda a slow sculptor too.

Anyhoo,

here's my tag.
I used my favorite Dilly Beans image (shhhh! don't tell the others),
Monster Boy
 He colors up like a dream and is so darn cute and versatile!
For a monster boy, anyway.

I used a coffin image from Tiddly Inks as my tag base,
and then just added a cool tombstone ad stamp,
and an all occasion rhinestone spider brad. 
This is not the last coffin shaped tag you will see from me!

Stop by Dilly Beans Friday challenge for some inspiration
and maybe get addicted to tags yourself. Even better, enter
the challenge and you could win not only the envy and accolades
of your peers, but you could win some free Dilly Beans images of
your very own!





Quick sgraffito update:
It's slow going, but this is the back of the skull.
I started this a few months ago, and I had hoped to have it
completed in time for National Skull Appreciation Day, but
that did not happen. I'm shooting for Hallowe'en at this point.
I kinda hated the bat when I first did it, but there is no going back
once you scratch into the skull. So, I figured by adding all the other
flourishy schtuff, the goofiness of the bat wouldn't be so pronounced
(to me anyway - a Virgo and an insecure artist! Egads!).
I'm having fun adding as many "S" shaped flourishes as possible.
My last name begins with an "S", so I think it's kinda cool. 
Overall, I'm likin' it.

Have a great weekend, and
Keep it Creepy!

  

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Wroughten Wednesday - StRaNgE bReW

I'm running a bit late, but I have somethin' cool to share.
This week the Macabre Monday challenge is a recipe.
I'll just put it out there, that I suck with recipes.
Whether it's a baking recipe (totally suck!!!) or an epoxy recipe
(you don't even wanna know!), I usually have a hard time 
conforming to the perameters of a set and specific recipe.
I have a hard time to conforming in general, just to be clear. 
I think I did okay this time.
First I started with the 2 layers - black card and DCWV dp.
This paper is perfect for this cameo portrait image.
I have had a matstack of this awesome paper for far too long!

Then I added 1 main image - "Just Bitten" from our sponsor
She is so flippin' cool! I used Copic BVs on her skin and  RV90's for her hair.
The image is layered onto a die cut (punched) element which is a
floral oval Spellbinders Nestie. I am really pleased with how she turned out.

Lastly we have some puffy satin bat trim, coupled with
the odd, yet bat-like metal brad with rhinestones, and
the final adornment of four black pearls.
Ta-dah!

There is still plenty of time to get your recipe together for this
week's Macabre Monday challenge. If I can do it, you certainly can!
has offered up 2 digis of choice to each Gruesome this week!


Friday, June 22, 2012

Lots of dots

It's Friday, and that means another fun challenge
This week's theme is dots.

I colored this little guy up in what is my current favorite
color scheme of teal and orange. The purples and the greens
are just extra colorful goodness.
I love working with Megan's images. 

His official name is "framed bat ghoul",
but I'm going to call him "Steve". 


In the past Megan had asked where we hang her artwork that we
purchase from her. Here is where.

And another one here.

And then the peacock feather painting hangs perfectly next to my
husband's least favorite mirror. But it's got peacock feathers on it!
This will work until I happen upon the perfect frames for these paintings. 

This is actually scaled way back for the picture. Usually there is an
over abundance of tchotchkes and cool schtuff all over this mantle.
Just wait until September.


Saturday, June 16, 2012

Bad Baby!!

I have been wanting to play along with Smudgy Antics
for some time now. I am usually intimidated by the
insane DT work, and I don't manage my time well.
That being said,
I swallowed a "big girl pill" and set the timer.

I have had this image by Rick St. Dennis for a long time.
I instantly fell for this little guy, but found him hard to pass off
on any baby shower or baby birthday cards.
Most of the "norms" would not approve, and I am a firm
believer in not pushing one's opinions on others.
Fair is fair. They don't make me go to church and I don't give
them zombie cards.  

But, imagine my giddiness when I saw that the challenge
over at Smudgy Antics was bad baby!
This is one bad baby!! 
So glad I finally got to play with him.

 

Friday, June 15, 2012

Sugar, ahhh, honey, honey

This week at Dilly Beans challenges the theme is
Sugar.
Interpret that however you want. At first I was going
to use a bunch of Diamond Dust on my project, but
that was going to be very labor intensive and may not
have translated well over the internet.

So I went with the next obvious choice.
Sugar skulls!!

Megan has so many coooool sugar skull images
to choose from! I ended up settling on the

Then the next obvious step was to use this
Frida Kahlo quote from the artists quotes set
I had to add some sparkle by outlining the
sentiment with lime green Doodlebug glitter.

I only used the same BG and RV Copics to try and keep
the image from getting too busy with too many colors.  

Sugar is the theme at Dilly Beans challenges this week.
Hope you can play along!




Thursday, June 14, 2012

Hey there, Bone Daddy!!

Father's Day is fast approaching and I am glad that
school is out and I can create non-stop during the day.
I am turning into such a procrastinator.
I color images weeks in advance and then let them sit
for weeks until the deadline to mail the actual card is, tomorrow.
Kind of a weak ticket, but I'm working on it.

Here is my nerdy FIL's card.
I used this adorable image from Tiddly Inks.
He is available as part of the Robot Holidays set.

My FIL works for the state of California and
does something with computers. This looks just like him.
Even down to the eyeglasses to which I added 
Glossy Accents to give them some shine.
My FIL's name is Richard, but somehow I'm the only
one who gets away with calling him, "Dick".
I love that man.

Next up is the card I made for my husband.

I used a killer image from SimplyBStamps called,
Draco. He is part of her Steampunk Hallowe'en line.

I ended up adding way more spritzes than I had intended, but
I think it came out pretty cool. I used some Tattered Angels
Dragonfly mist, and then I used a bunch of Copic Toner grays
with the SU airbrush tool (it's a booger sucker, let's be real here).
Me likey.
Oh, and the Bone Daddy title I set on the computer.
It's kinda my hubby's nickname. On a good day, anyway.

Well, I have a few more cards to create today, so I had better 
get to it.  

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Perplexing Pigment Play at HDH

This week over at the old Haunted Design House,
we are sponsored by Bugaboo stamps.
Bugaboo was one of my very first digi stamp purchases when
I started this little hobby of mine. I fell for the Skelekinz line
via another blogger and I was instantly hooked on their
simple designs that lend themselves to so many occasions.
They are so easy and fun to color.
The theme is a color challenge using black, teal,
purple and lime green.

I used an old Bugaboo freebie called, flower tag
(they give away a free image every Friday),
and the cute (in a mouth less and nose less kinda way)
bare feet image. I think they work well together.  

I used a circle and a scalloped circle Spellbinder,
fussy cut the tag and the bare feet girl, and then
doused it all with Stickles and Stardust Gelly Roll pen.
She strikes me as a fairy and fairies have to sparkle right?
If memory serves me correctly, most fairies are quite nasty and
can be quite the handful. Or in the case of their enormously long
and sharp teeth, quite the mouthful. 
I mean if she has no mouth to terrorize or eat
the other garden residents, then the least she can do is sparkle.

Join us this week at HDH for your chance to win 
7 free images (that's a $21 value!) from the

Friday, June 8, 2012

PURPLEPURPLEPURPLE

The challenge today at Dilly Beans is...
purple.

I love purple in all it's varying shades of violet, orchid, lilac,
lavender, and puce.
I just like saying "puce". 

I used Dilly Beans image #417 - Lila.
Isn't she gorgeous?! I'm sure she will be stunning no matter
what colors are used. She really pops in purple though. 

I added some white gel pen dots to her eyelashes like Megan
tends to do sometimes, on the original paintings. I broke out the
purple Stickles for the hair, used purple Distress ink for the
background, used an swirls embossing folder for the
background paper, highlighted the embossed swirls with
Firefly Stickles, and finally tied it all up with a pretty purple bow.

to see what the rest of the talented DT created for this
purple themed challenge.
Maybe even be inspired to play along with us for your chance
at winning some Dilly Bean images of your own.
There is also an awesome sale still going on over at
Buy any 10 images and get 10 images FREE!!
     Now that is what I call a sale!!

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Calling all Truebies!!

True Blood Season 5 Trailer
Season 5 starts this Sunday!
Can I get a "hell yeah!"?!
I missed it so much, I have been watching the reruns. A lot.
Hey! I just noticed that my favorite ripped werewolf is missing
from this group shot! We can't have that now, can we?
Let me fix that.
 
There, that's so much better.
How you doin'?
Woof!
Anyhoo, I digress.
And I drool, too.
The challenge this week at Haunted Design House
is to pay homage to the enigma that is
HBO's True Blood.
Here is my collage card.

I had lots of elements that I wanted to use on this card.
Believe it or not, there were more bits of ephemera that didn't make it.
It's a bit much, but I think it strikes a decent balance.

I was able to use yet another of these weird bat-like brads,
and destash my ever growing collection of feathers.
I think they procreate in the jar where I keep them.
Every time I grab one, three more pop out!

I also finally broke out the weird (for me) TH Distress Stickles
in Antique Linen. I never quite knew how to use this product
in the past, but it gave the aged piece a nice sheen. I ended up
using my finger to spread the schtuff around until I was happy
with the appearance.

I used this image a few years ago for another True Blood card
I made, but I used UTEE and the cracked glass effect this time.
It really gives a nice weight to the card as well.

That's it for now.

Join us over at HDH for our Truebie or not to Truebie challenge.
At least stop by and see what the other talented Minions have
made to inspire and seduce you with this week.


Saturday, June 2, 2012

Zombies for sale

Just a peek at some of the newly dead
over at my Etsy shop.
Each piece is re purposed from neglected and unwanted
figural statuary. You could even say that they're "green".
I crack myself up! 

This little one is not for sale, but I love the evil gaze of the
unfinished "Zombunny" in the background.

What garden is complete without a bloodied angel
lying amongst the petunias?

ZOMBUNNY has arrived!

This cute little fella likes to adorn the edge of
candy dishes or flower pots.
Multifunction at it's finest.

My first black haired cherub.
Beelzecherub!!
Okay, now I'm just being silly, right?

I like to refer to these two as, "the Twins".
Best part? There is a taper candle holder on the other side!
Siamese twin angel candle holder!
I couldn't have planned it better had I cast this piece myself. 

Throw back wall hanging. Maybe chalkware, but seems heavier.
He looks so much better this way, trust me.

This is the third composer bust I have Zombified.
I am always on the lookout for new ones.
Those, and Buddhas.
I need more Zombuddhas.

Stop by my Etsy shop and check out my
Hallowe'en themed items, supplies, and weird wares.
I am also open to custom listings and special orders.

Thanks for dropping by!

Friday, June 1, 2012

Who are you calling a Dilly Bean?

ME!!!

That's right, I am an official Dilly Bean DT member!
I have been a fan of Megan's art style for quite some time.
I own a few (only four so far) of her gorgeous paintings,
and I enjoy using her fun and quirky images for my crafting projects.
I was so honored for her to invite me to be a part of her
design team, and I am looking forward to making all kinds of
cool schtuff with her images.

The new Friday challenge this week at Dilly Beans is
STRIPES.

I cannot tell you how long and hard I looked for striped paper
in my immense paper stash. Apparently, stripes don't jump out at
me while choosing new papers to buy.
I'll have to change that going forward.  

I guess I didn't have to use every striped paper I could find,
but somehow I think they all play nicely with one another.
The red striped vellum was stuck in a used paper organizer
I bought at a yard sale years ago. Glad to finally make use
of it.

I just had to use one of  Megan's newer images,
Worried Skellie.
So sweet.
In a "stitched-closed-mouth" sorta way. 
Personally, I think all boys should come with this option.

I accordion folded the panel behind the main image, and
then hit it with a sanding block for stripes and distress.
I managed to work in some twine (that I have had for far too long),
by wrapping it around the panel in a random fashion. 
Lastly, I added some stick on brad heads, but had to modify
them a bit to match the color scheme. 
Viola!
Hope you are inspired enough to enter, but if you still need
some more inspiration, check out what the rest of the DT
came up with over at the