I just can't get enough of her!

I don't know what it is about her, but I just can't get enough of

Marie Antoinette!

Aurora Wings has a stunning Marie that I colored to resemble a zombie of

the highest regard. She was quite a remarkable result of Copics, a googly eye,

and a deviant mentality. All mine. You can see her for yourself right here. 

I have another Marie image that was drawn by one of my favorite artists,

Abigail Larson. She is quite a talented dark artist, who has done some

images for SBS, which is where I got the image. 

I have had her stashed away for months, and am thrilled to have finally

brought her to life....

Isn't she lovely? 

Oh, so tragically undead, and lovely.

  

I was inspired by the current Left Of Center challenge 

of black, white, and one other color.

I chose to use my (other) favorite color, yellow green. 

I used Lime Green Stickles for some sparkle on the oval frame,

and the die cut leaves. I managed to get a decent photo of the glitter.

It's harder to capture on film than you'd think. 

I used some definition dp (from parts unknown), and was able to arrange it

so that the word and definition for scar, is visible under her portrait.

I thought that was kind of cool.

She was a blast to color, and a challenge to keep her in shades of black

and yellow green. I used Warm Grays for her dress and facial shading, 

Toner Grays for her hair, and Neutral Grays for the background.

All of the greens are G09, YG17, YG25, YG03, YG01, YG00, and YG0000.   

I am rather proud of this one.

I'd like to show her off, and enter her in the following challenges:

Left of Center - Black, White, and one color 

Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes

A Step in the Darkness - Anything Goes

Craft-room Challenge - Green inspiration

Kraftin' Kimmie - Anything Goes

  

Smeared Ink July DT blog hop

Well July seems like just a blip on the map this year.

I can't believe it's almost over already.

The end of the month brings us the 

Smeared Ink DT Blog Hop. 

So that's a good thing, at least.

The theme for this month's blog hop is

MONOCHROMATIC.   

I chose to work with purple hues. One of my very favorite colors.

I used my new rubber stamp called, "The High Priestess", 

from the Morbidly Adorable rubber set, 

sold exclusively through the rubber club at Smeared Ink.

I was so excited to ink up my new rubber, that I didn't really 

consider just how much coloring was involved with this image.

Let's just say it was a bit of a marathon coloring session. 

And a bit of a challenge to keep it all monochromatic. I did cheat a teeny bit by

using some RV pinks to give some contrast to the wings, ball in her hand, and 

the beads in her hair.  

  

Love the skellie kitteh!

I used a white Sakura gelly roll pen to add some highlights.

The highlights help with contrast. I can't express how important

I feel contrast is to successful coloring. You have to have super darks

and super lights, coupled with all of the shades in between for a nicely

colored image. Regardless of whether it's full color or monochromatic,

there should be a full range of  hues to show depth. 

In my opinion, anyway.  

Lastly, I've added a sheer purple bow for some dimension and interest,

given how simple the card ended up. I felt it only

detracted from the image to add any embellies or other crap. 

Sometimes I forget that less is more. Usually, I forget.

Thanks for dropping by today. 

Please feel free to hop along to the rest of the design team's 

blogs, and check out their amazing monochromatic makes. 

BLACKDRAGON

SHELL

KAPREE

SHONI

CREEPY GLOWBUGG

REBECCA

Get Well Greetings part deux

Just a quick share of the latest card I sent to my friend who is

currently recovering from a double aneurysm.   

I used a sentiment and a death cab, both from the
Death Cab digi set from Smeared Ink.  

This is Hearse 3 from the set, and it is also sold separately.

My friend just returned home last week after her extended stay at the hospital.

I am itching to get over to her house to see her, so this sentiment says it all.

Thanks for dropping by today. 

Silly for Sprites!

Today begins the new challenge at 

Aurora Wings Challenge blog.

The new theme is 

Sprites. 

I instantly fell in love with Mitzi's flower Sprites the minute I saw them.

I honestly can't remember the very first Sprite I added to my ever growing

collection, but I can say that I love them all! 

Especially the "Corpse Flower Sprite". He's wickedly awesome!
So, to say it was difficult to choose which Sprite to use in this project,

is an understatement. 

So I narrowed it down to eight of them,

and I made an accordion book to keep them all cozy.

Morning Glory

Lotus

Tiger Lily

Hydrangea

Bamboo Shoot

Snapdragon

Wild Rose

Bearded Iris

I just wanted to show how glittery this little guy is in real life.

Everyone got an adequate dusting of glitter. All sprites sparkle, don't they?   

Front cover.

Painted with black gesso and Silks acrylic glaze in Black Ice.

Back cover.

After the black Silks paint dried, I added some of the same

paint in Iridescent Copper for some highlights and distressing.

I really like the copper Silks. Nice coverage and shine.  

I used some Sizzix dies to cut out various shapes and embellies for the book.

I cut everything out in back card stock, and glittered accordingly. 

For the covers, I painted the die cuts with TH distress crackle paints in 

antiqued bronze.

I really love the crackle effect.

I'll probably make a belly band or a sleeve for the book to slide into,

so it stays safe and protected when not being adored by everyone.

But, that's for another day.

Please be sure to drop by the challenge blog and check out all

of the Sprite projects that the talented DT have created for this challenge.

So much eye candy, you can't help but be inspired. 

She gets me, and I get her

The week before last, I received a very disturbing phone 

call from a very dear friend. I could hardly recognize her voice.

But I did make out that she had had a stroke.

I was, and still am, floored by this news.

She is only in her late 30's, takes great care of herself, has been

Vegan for pretty much all of her life. WTF?!

She had a double aneurysm, which fortunately was only leaking, and 

didn't burst. And then she had to have emergency brain surgery to 

stop the aneurysms, which has a 50% mortality rate all it's own.

Now she has a pretty shaved head, 50 staples, and a huge scar on her 

head. But she's alive, and making a great comeback.

All that said, she has a strange sense of humor, which makes sense that

we "get" each other so well. So, being the card maker that I am, 

I made her a get well card.

I'm pretty sure she's going to love this!

I used a great image from Smeared Ink's "Gross Anatomy" set, 

appropriately called, "Lobotomy".

I also got to use my tattered banners die from Tim Holtz for the

first time. I think I need some practice folding them, and it is better

to use a thicker card stock, as opposed to the thin paper I used.  

I am always saving weird pictures off the net.

This one is pretty weird.

I always tell my son that we had his tail cut off at birth.  

  And my witty sentiment on the inside.

I had to get that picture of the nurse in there somehow.

I cropped out the ventriloquist dummy lying on the cot at her feet.

It killed me to do so, but I ran out of room.

Thanks for dropping by today.

I'll have a few more weird get well creations in the coming weeks.

She already got her stitches out, and should be coming home this week!

I like to think it's my inspirational cards that have helped her to heal so quickly.    

  

Let them eat... an eyeball cupcake?

I have an Aurora Wings Showcase project to share with you today.

Mitzi has once again drawn an incredibly lovely, and detailed image.

This time she has re-imagined Marie Antoinette. How fun, right?

Well, you know I can't have anything nice, so it should come as no 

surprise that this is what I did to poor Marie. 

She's still quite a stunner with her undead pallor, 

dontcha think? 

I used Violet hues for her skin tone, making sure to give her

sunken eye sockets and sunken cheeks.

I decided to go all out with her hair color. I chose to use

YGs and BGs in her incredible tresses to provided good

contrast with the adornments in her hair. I used Stickles in Glam Pink

and Crystal, for that bling factor on the beads and feather. 

Marie (alive or dead) was quite a fancy, and elegant woman.  

Fancy = Bling.

I have joined the Tim Holtz masses and finally picked up the weathered clock die.

LOVE it! I chopped this one in half, distressed it with ink, and applied Rock Candy Stickles 

for more ... wait for it, ... BLING! 

For the final piece de resistance, I couldn't fight the urge to

add a googly eye to the cupcake. Kinda silly, but what else

would you expect from me?

I love the silliness of it in the middle of this very serious card.

Yeah, right. 'Cause an undead Marie is just so serious! Ha!

The dp is from MME Lost and Found Two.

It's aged with TH distress inks and again, I have 

added Stickles, this time in Diamond, to each panel.

More bling is bettah!

Be sure to check out all of the other incredibly fabulous versions

of our sweet Marie at the Aurora Wings Showcase blog.

And if you just want to skip all the hoopla, you can go purchase

your very own Marie Antoinette image here, right now!

I'd like to enter Marie in the following challenges:
Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes 
Simon Says Monday challenge - About a face (Marie has quite the face!)
613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes (optional shaped cards)
Digi Galore - Anything Goes
Pumpkin Spice - Anything Goes
Brown Sugar Challenge - Pink and Pearls
Fussy and Fancy - It's all about Girls!
Left of Center - Anything Goes/Add sparkle

Your weekly issue of Smeared Ink

Since I have basically a shit-ton (real word, look it up) of birthday cards

to make this month, and the next, I decided to use some of the various

digital eye candy Smeared Ink has to offer.

I really like this image called, Specimen Jar Man. It's perfect for all manner 

of masculine themed projects. I love the whole Da Vinci vibe it gives off.

I colored this fella with Copics, as usual. I colored the orange butterfly

a bit too vividly, so I went over the entire thing with a warm gray (W2)

to dull it up a bit. It makes quite a difference, believe me.  

I stamped an insect diagram image directly onto the kraft card, but it

also came out wonky, so I spritzed it with water to make a subtle, less

offensive background. I used some MME and Basic Grey dp matted with

black card to make it all cohesive. 

Make sure to check out all of the varied and versatile images available at 

Smeared Ink.

And, check out the exclusive designs available only through the rubber club. 

I recently joined up, and I don't regret it one bit! 

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:
Creative Moments - Anything Goes
Divas by Design - Things with Wings
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
4 Krafty Girlz - Anything Goes 

Eerily Inspired Box of Emptiness

Welcome to week 2 of our 

Eerie Inspiration challenge

at Haunted Design House.

I'd say that this photo collage is brimming with eerie, beautiful, dusty,

thought provoking, mojo whetting, inspiration. Wouldn't you?

I decided to alter a paper mache box.

This is the lid. I used some ripped dp and crackle paste for the texture, 

on both the box, and the lid.

I gathered up some monotone goodies like paper roses, the ever

popular cheesecloth, some little round mirrors, a wooden cross that I painted 

with crackle paint, a polymer clay coffin that also got the same crackle treatment, 

and some other goodies for equal measure. I ended up adding other tones like 

pearl, amber, gold, and silver for more interest.  

I added some little wooden cups for feet on the bottom of the box.

I like the height they give, and it makes it look a bit more fancy 

than just a common box. For a last hurrah, I rubbed the edges of the

box and crackle texture with Inka Gold in silver. It gives the box the

look of old, heavy silver. Love it!    

Wanna make something cool for this challenge?

Enter here.

I'd like to enter this box in the following challenges:

Altered Eclectics - altered projects only 

Craft my Life - Anything Goes/No cards

Anything but a Card- Anything Goes

Crafting at the Weekend - Anything Goes

Brown Sugar Challenge - Anything Goes

Punkyou Girl - Skeletons and Secrets

Corpse Flower Sprite

I have the great pleasure of being on the Aurora Wings DT.

This means that I not only get to create with all of Mitzi's incredible

artwork, but that I get to make suggestions as to possible future images.

Well actually, if you are a member of the Aurora Wings facebook group

you can make all the suggestions you want, and eventually Mitzi may get

around to drawing up one of your suggestions!

But I digress...

I have always been slightly enamoured with the magical carrion flower, or

also known as the (way cooler sounding), corpse flower. 

This beautiful plant grows in the rainforests of Sumatra.

The bloom is enormous, and smells of rotting meat, or really smelly gym socks. 

It only blooms once, every two years. So it is a pretty big deal every 

time one blooms. The bloom only usually lasts for 24 to 48 hours.

 One just bloomed in Missouri Botanical Garden, and one also bloomed 

in a man's backyard in Florida. He has been growing it for 12 years from a seed.

This is the first time it has bloomed. He has seven total plants that he has
grown from seeds he purchased for $100 each. So cool!

Again, I digress...

See? I said I was a bit enamoured with this plant.

Soooo, 

I asked Mitzi if she would draw this incredible plant as one of her Sprites.

And she did!

Wanna see him?

Are you ready?

Isn't he delightfully menacing?

And dig those awesome, squiggly stench lines!

And the flies, too!

I loved coloring this odiferous guy up!

I think he'd make a great/funny "get well" card. 

He is now available in the Aurora Wings digi shop.

Get him before his stench fades!