Check out my Smudgy Antics

So have you heard? Smudgy Antics is back!!!
We have a daily dose of DT inspiration for our new
Anything Goes challenge.  Pretty cool, right?

It's nice to keep the momentum going each week, throughout
the entire month of the challenge. The brilliant inspiration just never stops!

Even though I masquerade as Creepy Glowbugg, I do enjoy the

festivities of Creepmas. Especially the gift giving (and receiving).

Every year I find I am at a loss for gift tags. I don't know if maybe there

are gift tag eating rodents in the garage who dine exclusively on my

handmade tags and nothing else, but every year I have to make more tags. 

Way more tags than I have ever used in one holiday season.

I'm not really  a fan of the adhesive ones, although I usually end up using
them anyway with my constant shortage of homemade tags.

This year I have used Brass, the Steampunk Reindeer for a set of tags.

Please feel free to overlook my poor frantage application. I was hoping 

for a snowy effect, but it just kinda looks messy to me. Practice makes perfect,

but those big chunks just fly right off the paper before I can get them melted.

I even cheat and use some VersaMark to get it to stick. 

Whatever...   

He is just too stinkin' cute, and perfect for weirdos and norms, alike!

I ran across some new punches I forgot I bought at TJ Maxx. They were 

perfect for this project. I like the peek-a-boo effect they give the tags.

And you just can't go wrong with Stickles (in Platinum and Xmas Red)

for that festive feel.  

And then I had to make some homemade specimen jar tags.
Friends and family expect nothing less from me anymore.

I put this guy together using my favorite little weird bear from the 

Candy is Dandy rubber set, the empty specimen jar digi,  

and the jar label digi. Fussy cut them out, and punched a hole

at the top.

Stamped a simple, "to: and from:" on the backs,
added some baker's twine, and viola!
I'm ready to start wrapping some gifts!
These would even be cute as ornaments on a tree,
or strung together like garland with a different specimen
in each jar. Hmmm.... I really like that idea.

Be sure to stop by the Smudgy Antics blog everyday
for a fabulous gift of inspiration. And if you're feeling creative,
add your Anything Goes (using a Smeared Ink rubber or digi image)
creation here. 

   

Let's smear some ink!

Here is my Smeared Ink project for the week.

I am only a few pages short of completing my very first art journal (thanks, Suzie!),

and I thought this would make a neat page.

I used the digital versions of the empty specimen jar, specimen label,

and the elephant from the Circus Procession set. 

I turned them into png images using Gimp, meaning I made the 

backgrounds transparent so that I could layer them into one complete image.

I covered the jar with Glossy Accents, but apparently the medium wasn't

completely dry, which I learned after putting a heavy object on top

of it to make it lay flat. When I pulled up the object, part of the elephant

was stuck to the bottom. I added more accents to the ruined spots and

let it dry overnight. 

I used the same process for this little bear, and even

used the no-lines coloring technique on him as well.

I was hoping it would make him look more realistic.

 No Glossy Accents on this one. I didn't want to take a

chance on ruining this one once it was colored.

Same technique here as well, using the Death Cab Hearse #1 image, 

and some of my favorite medium, Crackle Accents from Inkssentials.

I made the background using Dylusions Spray Inks, and a couple of 

Tim Holtz stencils, and a stamp. I used the water spritz technique to remove some color,

and I drew on a little spider web, and attached teeny, punched spiders all over. 

That's it for me.

I have three Mother's day cards to make today.

Not feelin' it, but that's not their fault. I miss my Mom worse

this year than I did last year. Been plagued by random tears yesterday

and today. Weird how the subconscious works....  

Smeared Ink Monthly blog hop

Today, I have another Smeared Ink project for your visual amusement.

We're having a design team blog hop for the month of April.

If you'd like to begin the hop from the beginning, 

here is the hop order:

Black Dragon

Shell

Kapree

Shoni

Creepy Glowbugg - me

Lisa

Elenor
Rebecca

I purchased a few of these blank notebooks from Pick Your Plum

a while back, and I needed a gift for a friend's birthday, so it

was a double duty project. I like that.

The notebook folds out into thirds. This gives plenty of room to decorate

and customize. I started out by removing the covers, and painting them with

a tan acrylic paint.

Then, I broke out with my new TH Clockwork stencil, and some

SU teal ink. 

Next, I distressed and aged the covers using Distress Inks

in vintage photo, and walnut. I have tried many types of applicators

for applying inks to my projects, but I love the fingertip sponge daubers 

the best. They give great control, and they're easy to hang onto.

I gave the covers a coat of matte medium to seal the inks and keep them

from bleeding onto the recipient's hands when they use it someday.

I went ahead and added a script stamp, and then I heat embossed it.

I used this script stamp throughout the entire notebook. I added a Copic colored

image called, Specimen Jar - Man from Smeared Ink. 

I gave the image a coat of Glossy Accents to give it some durability.

I really love this image. It's very 'DaVinci' feeling, to me.

Here is the opened view of the notebook. 

I have continued all of the same techniques and finishes throughout the book.

I have used the Butterfly Jar image from Smeared Ink here,

and I have added both, Glossy Accents, and Crackle Accents to the jar

for a varied effect of textures. I like it.

 I have used another butterfly from the Specimen Jar digi set

at Smeared Ink. I colored it with watercolor pencils,

and accented it Stickles and Gelly Roll Stardust pen.

And here it is all folded out and finished.

I have to say it turned out pretty cool, and I am 

eager to send it to my friend. I have a feeling she'll dig it, too.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Make sure to check out the entire Smeared Ink DT hop

to see more creative craftiness from my fellow DT members.  

The hop order is in my sidebar, and at the beginning of this post.

I'd like to enter this project in the following challenges:
613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes
Anything But a Card - use/make a book
That Craft Place - Anything Goes
Crafty Calendar Challenge - Things with Wings
Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge - Wings 
Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge - Anything Goes
C.R.A.F.T. challenge - Not a card
Crafting at the Weekend - Anything Goes