#Cre8time Cryptkeeper Pendant for 31 Days of Halloween #DominoArtChallenge

Hello boys and Ghouls! Welcome to a very special project that is part of the 31 Days of Halloween Challenge at Domino Art... devoted to altering dominos, puzzle pieces, and game pieces - all those little things we love to save for the most special projects. Today is my project and you want to jump over to the Domino Art Blog to see all the other spooktacular altered creations!

My project today is an altered puzzle piece turned into jewelry from the crypt! Creating for Halloween comes a close second only to creating for Christmas and I go ALL OUT. I invite you to read along as I share details on how this came to life...

Supplies: Puzzle piece; recycled chess piece; detail scissors; scraps of pre-painted distress marbled papers; copper wire; Crop-A-Dile; copper eyelet; copper wire; wooden bead; "hello sweetie"; "barb wire background" and "skeleton rising" stamps from Viva Las VegaStamps!, Ranger Distress Paints; Versafine Black Ink; waterbrush; Maroon pigment ink; VLVS! ultra fine clear embossing powder; Diamond Glaze; assorted markers; Ranger Old Paper and Gathered Twigs Distress Ink; Ranger Embossing Antiquities in Rust; dark amber sticky-back gems; and double-sided adhesive tape. 

Starting with a leftover scrap of Distress Ink marbelized cardstock, I traced my selected puzzle piece {this being a generic blank craft version} and cut out with detail scissors. I adhered to puzzle piece with a generous slathering of glue stick.

The backside was blank as well, so I wanted to give this side a grungy rusted finish. I used Ranger Distress Paints to create a marbled, drippy background... I just love this effect!!!

While my paint was still wet and drippy, I dragged the color around to the front and made some creepy, bloody drippings from the top and also painted the edges.

While my paint is drying, I stamped the skeleton rising onto white cardstock with black Versafine ink and set with VLVS! ultra fine clear embossing powder. I added a little color with a waterbrush and an assortment of markers. By the time I was done fussy cutting this character, my puzzle piece is ready to stamp.

I used my heat gun to finish drying and set paint on the puzzle piece. I inked up a barb wire background stamp with maroon pigment ink and pressed the rusty colored side of the puzzle piece into the stamp. I could have used clear or black ink, the ink gets lost when this opaque embossing powder is applied.

Now the magic... turning this barbed wire into fabulous faux rusty wire. I applied Ranger Antiquities Rust embossing powder - a lovely distressed rust mixture, and tapped off excess. When heat set, the rust comes alive!

I finished off with a rubbing of distress inks to and a grey marker to bring out depth and create shadows. The back is it's own gorgeous rusty mess!

I brought a little rust around to the front by adhering "hello sweetie" sentiment to a piece of double sided adhesive tape, leaving edges exposed to create a matted edge, then applying the same rusty goodness in a bottle. A zap with the heat gun followed by a gentle rubbing with some Distress Inks, and a rusty sign is ready. I added a kiss of Diamond Glaze for a little dimensional shine.

A adhered the skeleton to the puzzle piece and trimmed to match edges. With black and grey markers I smudged out some shadowing. This cryptkeeper comes to life with some dark amber sticky back gems. I punched a hole in the top and set a copper colored eyelet with my Crop-A-Dile tool for a reinforced hole to accept some wire-wrapping and beaded detail.

With matching copper wire, I wire wrapped a wooden bead to the top and formed a loop for stringing onto a necklace. I also wire wrapped a random chess piece I happened upon during the process... it's a charm now! I added a dark amber sticky back gem to the bottom for a little added bling. I braided black and sparkly orange fun fibers with a natural raffia to use as a chain to complete the look. I can't wait to wear this with my dancing skeleton earrings!

"Hello Sweetie"...

a Puzzling Proposition

Thanks for dropping by! What are you creating for Halloween? Leave a comment and your link I would love to see. Please visit the Domino Art Blog art to see all the other spooktacular creations!  Sb :)

Daring to try New Colors and Techniques for Anything But a Card Challenge No. 49 "ANYTHING GOES"

Greetings Friends! I hope you are having a fabulous 4th of July weekend. Today begins a brand new challenge at Anything But a Card Challenges. 

The new Challenge... is OPEN! With summertime in full swing... we want to see what you're creating! Anything But a Card Challenges No. 49 is ANYTHING GOES. Share you're creations, whatever it may be... scrapbooking, collage, ATCs, tags, art journal pages, altered shrines... whatever tickles your muse and her fancy!

Challenges are a fun way to push yourself to try new things and new styles – and to be perfectly honest – this was way out of my creative box. I was a bit scared as to how I would tackle this challenge board... it's totally out of my box and I had butterflies in my stomach until my creation was complete! But I'm so glad I played along.

I started with a watercolor paper that I monoprinted with a blend of blue and green metallic Ranger Adirondack acrylics. Then I scribbled and smooshed on some blues and green Faber-Castell Gelatos to my liking. Using gel medium I fused a ghost monoprint on deli paper, which glues the layers together while giving translucency to colors below.

I wanted to have a scribbly heart, so I made a dribbly heart mask {click here to see how to} and placed onto my background then sprayed with black Ditto glimmer spray.

Look at all the glorious blue and green exposed! I brushed some water at the top where the spray was still a bit wet and let the black color drip down. This was fun and a bit scary... I'm a total newbie to the dripping technique.

I gave a blast with the heat gun to dry everything and added a few strokes of Gelatos to the heart. To finish this mini masterpiece, I overstamp a bubble wrap texture and spell out "dare to dream" with Hero Arts Unicorn white pigment ink {love this new white ink} and heat set. I stamped, embossed and fussy cut butterfly wings on matching painted paper. I gently slide the my collage into a Deflecto Acrylic Craft Frame and tucked the wings off each edge... and I have a new inspirational whimsy.

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Supplies: Stamps from Viva Las VegaStamps: "Distressed Alphabet from December Daily Plate #1430"; "Bubble Wrap Texture" #19566; and  "Butterfly Spotted" #9459. Ultra High Gloss Embossing Powder; watercolor paper, white cardstock detail scissors, black Versafine pigment Ink; Hero Arts "Hero Hues" Unicorn {white} pigment ink; various blues/greens Faber-Castell Gelatos; detail scissors; Faber-Castell Gel Medium; drizzle heart mask made with Amazing Remelt; Ditto black shimmer spray; and a Deflecto 3" x 4" Acrylic Craft Frame.

"Let Your Heart Soar..."

Thanks for visiting! CLICK HERE to jump over to Anything But a Card Challenges and see what the rest of the designer have created. I hope you join in and share your creations. Happy Sunday :) Sb

Tagging King Tut's GOLD for Anything But a Card Challenges No. 46 - "FOOL's GOLD"

It's a long weekend for Easter and Passover. With a new challenge to play with, I putter about and catch up on some tag techniques to see what inspiration strikes. 

We have a new Challenge at Anything But a Card Challenges. Challenge No. 46 is "FOOL's GOLD"... uses the prettiest of all metals – GOLD – as your inspiration to challenge your muse. CLICK HERE to jump over to ABAC to see inspiration from our design team.

My tag is based on T!m Holtz' August 2013 Tag techniques and I'm heading to Ancient Egypt to find some Gilded treasure for my creation for the "FOOL's GOLD" No. 46 challenge at Anything But a Card Challenges.

On a sheet of freezer paper, I applied side by side three Ranger Distress Stains - Brushed Pewter, Old Paper, and Antique Linen. I misted my #8 manila tag with a light amount of water then dragged the tag through the puddle of ink. I tapped off the excess liquid and then heat set to dry. Looks pretty grungy and gold... weathered by thousand of years in the desert!

I built up the layers of color with three applications using the same technique above and heat set to dry between layers. The brushed pewter gave a subtle metallic shimmer over the tag that looks like aged sandstone. I overstamped the "Basket Egyptian Goddess" #6101, "Mummy Case/Female" #5806 and "Stylized Dog Border" #9827 {all from Viva Las VegaStamps!} using Staz-On Jet Black ink. I also stamped each on acetate and a scrap paper to create masks for layering and scene building.

I prepared my masks, two on acetate and the others on paper and adhered to my tag with some removable adhesive runner. The colored image will not appear where the masked areas are. This process of building scenes is a bit time consuming with fussy cutting - but the end results are AMAZING - and for me totally worth the effort!

I mounted the "Nile Flower Background" #1657 stamp and then began coloring with Ranger Distress Markers adding different colors directly onto the stamp. This is a detailed pattern, so I had to concentrate coloring similar sections. This was quite fun and relaxing coloring this large background. I remoistened the marker applied to the background stamp by breathing on it then stamped onto the tag. 

The "Mummy Case/Female" #5806 was not as clear as I liked on the painted tag, though I did stamp clearly - so I stamped it again onto a brushed gold cardstock, fussy cut and adhered with Miracle Tape right over the top. This did the trick! The gold gave the pop and extra bling that I desired and looks just like the artifacts in the King Tut exhibit I saw in the Art Museum!

I went around the edge with a distressing tool for a frayed effect and rubbed edge with a couple colors of Distress Markers. To finish off - I added a pink pearl gem, some additional hand coloring and some ribbon to the top and bottom and this tag looks like it's an artifact straight from the Egypt.

Tag ARTifact from the Pyramids...

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Supplies used: STAMPS - "Basket Egyptian Goddess" #6101, "Mummy Case/Female" #5806, "Nile Flower Background" #1657, and "Stylized Dog Border" #9827. Other supplies: #8 manila tag; Staz-On Jet Black ink; Miracle Tape; Ranger Distress Markers; Ranger Distress Stains - Brushed Pewter, Old Paper, and Antique Linen; water brush; brushed gold cardstock; pink pearl gem; and ribbon/trim.

Thanks so much for dropping by. I invite you to play along with us at Anything But a Card Challenges and the new "FOOL's GOLD" Challenge No. 46.

Hoppy Creating!  :) Sb

All Dressed Up for the Easter Parade

Hello everyone! I'm bringing you a little SUGARY SWEET Easter Greetings today with this stamped hanging Easter greeting! I've created this to play along with the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers SOSS #30 - E is for Easter Challenge... this is not so much snarky this time but I think I might get a cavity from all the candy coated colors in this Easter Bunny.

This yellow Easter egg decor has been sitting in my craft drawer for ages waiting to be altered - and it's finally been put to crafty use... with stamped goodness and glittery pens! To see more about how I created this CLICK HERE to jump over to see the details on the Viva Las VegaStamps! Blog.

Have a Happy Easter!

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Stamps from Viva Las VegaStamps: "Fancy Bunny" #17610, "Easter" #18114, "Best Wishes" #826, and "Washi Lines Background" #19073. Other Supplies: painted cardstock using Ranger Distress Stains; Versafine Black Pigment Ink; green and purple dye inks; Miracle Sheet Adhesive; 3/4" Miracle Tape; Sakura of America Gelly Roll Stardust Pens; waterbrush; Faber-Castell Pitt Pens; and Offray organza ribbon.

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Thanks for dropping by! Have a fantastic Day! :) Sb

Superstitious are WE??? Viva Las VegaStamps! Friday the Thirteenth Bloghop

Does Friday the 13th make you anxious and want to hide under the covers until the coast is clear... or is it a CAUSE for CELEBRATION??! Today we are celebrating with inky stamped goodness. 

I gathered up a bunch of marbelized distress ink stained tags leftover from Halloween projects and went to town stamping the eyes peeking through the blinds. I also had a long strip so I made a background of text and numbers. When I spelled out "friday" I had the letters placed on my block in backwards order... but since this is for FRIDAY the 13th - it's perfect! So I went with it and stamped it repeatedly, then also stamped my 13 backwards as 31. Then went back and fixed the Friday and stamped it the correct way. I added the thirteen block also to complete the scene. I stamped images in black archival and also Ranger Nick Bantock Damson Plum ink. I trimmed each section to fit and distressed the edges with the Damson Plum {my FAVORITE ink pad color} and mounted to a bright purple cardstock for a card base. Super CREEPY greetings indeed!

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Supplies From Viva Las VegaStamps: "Peeking Through Venetian Blinds" #18082; cut apart "31" #18918; "thirteen" from December Daily Plate #1430; alphabet from the December Daily Plate #1430; and Miracle Tape. Other Supplies: purple cardstock; scraps of painted tags using T!m Holtz marbeling technique using Ranger Distress Inks; Ranger Nick Bantock Damson Plum ink; and black archival ink.

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Don't forget to stop by all the stops on this UNLUCKIEST of occasions for your chance to win some blog candy! Thanks for dropping by - hope you have a fantastic Day! :) Sb

Viva Las VegaStamps! | VLVS! Blog the HOP Begins HERE

DeeDee Catron | by DeeDee Catron

Corrie Herriman | Made by Chook

Hermine Koster | Hermine's Place

Michele Kosciolek | Stuff by Belle

Shanna Shands | Shanna's Designs 

Glenda Tkalac | Somewhere Over the Rainbow

YOU ARE HERE ---> Susan M. Brown | sbartist : painting in the dark

Mary Brockway | The Damsel of Distress

Five Sundays in August... brings an Extra Day of #Cre8time!!!

Good Morning Everyone! It's the last weekend in August... and also Labor Day Weekend... the last weekend of summer as kids are heading back-to-school. Today brings an extra special challenge over at Anything But a Card Challenges!

The moon and stars have aligned to give us an EXTRA Sunday this month which messes up our 3 +1 system of challenges. Today is another FIFTH SUNDAY! This is an oddity in the calendar that is happening several times in 2014... SO we have added this fun MINI-Challenge today here at Anything But a Card Challenges!!! Are you ready to play and have some fun??!

ALSO we are adding to our team here at Anything But a Card Challenges... CLICK HERE to view our DT call which closes Sept. 13th. We encourage you to apply! ABAC has no sponsors + no expectations + no having to use particular stuff! No Rules and a variety of themes and possible makes = doing projects you REALLY want to do! We are all about CREATING and SHARING... ABAC is all inclusive – and all levels of expertise are welcome too. If you love to create everything under the sun that is NOT CARDS... throw your hat in and apply!

The Fifth Sunday Challenge... "USE FIVE"!! Use the number 5 or five items, five colors, five words... what ever FIVE represents to you. For those who want to go a little more literal - here's the definition, too! Loads of inspiration could be had over at Wikipedia's page for 5 (number).

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five (faɪv)

n.

1. a cardinal number, four plus one.

2. a symbol for this number, as 5 or V.

3. a set of this many persons or things.

4. a five-dollar bill.

adj.

5. amounting to five in number.

[before 1000; Middle English; Old English fīf; c. Old Frisian, Old Saxon fīf, Old High German fimf, finf, Old Norse fimm, Gothic fimf, Latin quīnque, Greek pénte, Skt pancha]

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Please share any current project you have created and JUST REMEMBER... create anything EXCEPT a card for this challenge. Please mention and LINK BACK to the Anything But a Card Challenges Fifth Sunday Challenge. ALSO - Please new projects only {no-backlinking}. :)

Now to my project. From time to time, I join swaps with different groups I am in. The "FIVE" challenge helps reign things in when you have a broad theme to go with. So here are my five things that I used to create my ATCs:

1. a theme "down the rabbit hole"

2. a leftover sheet of marbelized painted paper {I made a bunch of these one day}

3. some fun rubber stamps from Viva Las VegaStamps!

4. a new fun harlequin washi tape I got at the Dollar Tree

5. ink pads for stamping images and distressing

My painted paper happens to also use five colors of Ranger Distress Paint... imagine that! One day a while back, I painted a bunch of sheets in different colors using this technique - once you get going... it's pretty easy and fun to do a bunch as you wait for paper to dry a bit between adding more layers of color.

This is loosely based on T!m Holtz' marbeling technique where you apply multiple colors of distress paint to your craft sheet, mist with water and drag the paper though the paint. I added all the colors in a splotchy fashion, and sprayed a lot of water which gives a more watercolor effect when paper is dragged.

I drag once, then respray more water to the craft sheet to pick up another layer of color. I repeat this until I've mopped up all the paint from my craft sheet. The colors are more muted, but there is a lot more pattern and texture from the paint floating in beads of water.

With a nice sheet to work with, I cut it down to make my ATC card blanks and set to work on the stamping and layering of elements. One special stamping trick I did was to layer two stamps on top of each other, the girl and a keyhole - placing the keyhole over one of her eyes; then I trimmed each keyhole out. This gives the perfect eye peering though the keyhole for this Alice in Wonderland themed ATC. The sentiment I've had for ages from VLVS! and I thought it went perfectly for the quirky white rabbit whose always proclaiming, "I'm Late!" These came together really quickly and they were fun to make.

Thanks for visiting! I hope you will play along in the FIVE challenge at ABAC and consider applying for the DT call and join our team of designers. Happy Sunday! :) Sb

I'm on a #Cre8time Steampunk Adventure with Darkroom Door Stamps and Unruly PaperArts

It's that time of the month again... time for another one of my "Thoughtful Abstractions" columns at Unruly PaperArts. This month's theme is STAMP it OUT... and stamping is one of my favorite Cre8time Pastimes!

Stamps are so versatile and can be used for many projects: from cardmaking to home decorating, to altered books and ATCs - pretty much anything and everything can be stamped.

This month's sponsor of the Stamp It Out issue at Unruly PaperArts is Darkroom Door Stamps - a company I have loved following over the years and I was so excited to receive their Steampunk set which has a variety of words and images; mounted on cling foam.

I've created this fun "steampunk adventure" card featuring these dueling dashing men of steampunk... the inventor -vs- the explorer. I turned the stamped images into mini polaroid photos using the words as titles. I used leftover scraps from my Doctor Who mini album from last month for a grounding border and filled in the background of the blank kraft card with the gears and phrase. Everything is rubbed up with some chalk inks for distressing and this card is good to go.

Want to see what else I've created?? I have a created a new whimsical page in art journal using this set of Darkroom Door Steampunk Essentials.

Please CLICK HERE to view my Thoughtful Abstractions column in the Unruly PaperArts "STAMP it OUT" issue. It is a total must see completely stamped using this fabulous set of Darkroom Door Steampunk Essentials.  :) Sb

Also - make sure you enter this month's Reader's Art Quest at Unruly PaperArts. One lucky creation linked up via inLinkz will be randomly chosen to win a fabulous prize package from Darkroom Door Stamps. CLICK HERE for the details!

#Cre8time in Colors of ROYALTY for Index Card a Day 2014 Day No. 12

My completed card for ICAD 2014

Day No. 12 - PAISLEY

For more details on how I created this card, please click here.

You can play along too - visit ICAD for all the details!

http://daisyyellowart.com/icad/icad-faq.html

SMILE for the #Cre8time Camera... Index Card a Day 2014 Day No. 11

My completed card for ICAD 2014

Day No. 11 - TOY CAMERA

For more details on how I created this card, please click here.

You can play along too - visit ICAD for all the details!

http://daisyyellowart.com/icad/icad-faq.html

A Singing Bird Will Come with Greetings for Unscripted Sketches #256

If you arrived here from Unruly Paper Arts...

CLICK HERE to jump to my "HOME" Reader's Art Quest Inspiration

 

Good Morning! Today is Sketch-It Saturday with Unscripted Sketches #256. I'm on my way out of town for the weekend and I could not leave without squeezing in a card for this week's sketch. A monochromatic stamped collage creation using Oxford Impressions stamps and some of my fave go-to images from Viva Las VegaStamps! – this is a perfect anytime card and will be going out in the mail straightaway. I invite you to come and join the weekly challenge.

What is Sketch it Saturdays at Unscripted Sketches? Every Saturday morning a new sketch is posted for the week. Flip the sketch, rotate it… create a card, a scrapbook page, a wall hanging, digital, paper, fabric, paint, anything your imagination comes up with! There is no right or wrong way, as long as you are using the Unscripted sketch as the inspiration for your creation! And everyone is invited to join in the fun... and post your creation on their page via inlinkz for all the world to see!
 

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Thanks for dropping by today... Have a fantastic weekend! Sb :)