21st Century Pillow Book

12 Months of Halloween: January

2012-01-28T08:14:00.001-05:00

Hello my spooktacular friends! Simply B Stamps has a new, monthly challenge for you! It’s the 12 Months of Halloween! Every month on the 28th, we will have a new challenge for you.

“We have a fun and simple little challenge for you today!

Our challenge is Monochromatic and one Halloween color! All you have to do is create a black and white Monochromatic project and throw in one other Halloween color; Orange, Lime Green, Purple, or any other one color you would deem SPooKy!

One lucky winner will be deemed Halloween Queen of the Month! As Halloween Queen of the Month, you will get a digi to work with, a badge, and be the star of our next Halloween challenge! Sounds like fun right? SO let's get those Halloween stamps, papers, and embellishments out and get to crafting!”

For this project, I chose to work with Lavinia Portrait. This image was drawn by the same artist that does those insanely amazing Steampunks that I am nutty about. This image is just stunning.

Isn’t she gorgeous? I decided to work with green, and go with a subtle, creepy Halloween card. I colored this amazing image in with my watercolor markers and Copics. Here’s a closer look.

You can click on this, or any other image, to see it bigger. Not to toot my own horn (much) but I LOVE how this card turned out. I may actually frame it!

Here’s an even closer look, so that you can really see the shading, and gradations of color.

Did you notice my background? I made it using a beautiful stencil from Dreamweavers. I used black chalk for it, and i think it is the perfect background for Lavinia.

I just love that stencil! Damask always catches my eye, but this particular pattern is especially beautiful. I distressed the edges of my grey cardstock, and added a few simple, black cabochons. This focal image and background say enough on their own.

I really hope you will play along with this challenge! It certainly is a fun one! Hop on over to the SBS Blog to see what the rest of the DT has created.

A side note. As I mentioned yesterday, Strange Skin is having a sale on all of their digis. They are currently 50% off! Please click HERE to see all of the images. There are more details in my post from yesterday, so feel free to take a peek.

Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Strange Skin Sale!

2012-01-27T10:35:00.001-05:00

Greetings fellow crafters! I am excited to not only share a new card with you, but to also let you know about a fantabulous sale that’s going on! Strange Skin is having a 50% off sale on ALL of their digis!!! From now until February 2nd! You’ve gotta go to their Etsy shop for this sale, so click HERE! This is a seriously crazy deal. And to get you in a Strange Skin kinda mood…here is my latest creation.

This is from the Sweet & Spicy Hearts collection. I love this heart! Now, the collections are what’s posted on Esty, but if you convo Pam, you can get any single image you want….yes, at the 50% off price as well! But at half price, why not just snag the whole collection?

I used my watercolor markers and 1 green Copic to color this image in. I kept the card simple, as I wanted the heart to really take center stage.

Wanna see some more of my Strange Skin Creations?

This is my favorite image of theirs, and probably my favorite card that I’ve made with their stuff. This is the Bride of Frankenstein Cameo. The Cameos are easily their most popular collection.

This is a pendant I made with a domino, using their Grave Hands image.

Here is of Course, Freddy, from their Famous Monsters 3 collection.

This lovely key is from the Keys to my Heart collection. I adore this key!!!

Not only is Strange Skin having this awesome sale, but on February 1st, there will be several new collections available too! Now, these new images will NOT be on sale, but I am sure you’re going to want to snag some of them, as they are so unique! That’s one of the best things about Strange Skin, they have images you will never find anywhere else!!!

Soon I will have a preview from one of the new collections, so please be on the lookout! Happy shopping!!! Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Ring in the New: Bombshell Stamps January Hump Day Hop!

2012-01-25T07:11:00.001-05:00

Happy Hump Day! The last Wednesday of the month is one of my favorite days of every month. Why? Because that means it’s time for the Bombshell Stamps Hump Day Hop! This month I challenged the players to “Ring in the New!” Meaning, they had to have or do something new with their project. A new technique, use a new image, try a new product. It left things very open and I think, very exciting!

I was super inspirited by Bombshell Alaine’s latest tutorial. Check it out in all of it’s awesomeness HERE. As soon as I saw it, I knew that was what I was going to do for my project. So I Pinned it so that I could easily go back to it later. I also used this month’s sketch challenge which you can see HERE. So without any further adieu, here’s what I came up with.

I loved this technique! I used images from Speed Shop, and I think they are such a great choice for doing this type of coloring. I actually have the other car in this set colored up already too! I will reveal it at a later date. ;)

In comparing mine to Alaine’s, I probably should have let more of the black show through. But I still like it. It’s hard to tell, but the chrome was colored with a metallic pencil, so it’s uber shiny.

I changes Kathi’s sketch around just a wee bit….but I know she won’t mind! I was so stoked to realize that I had cardstock from DCWV that perfectly matched my car! I couldn’t believe it! I always color first, then match paper later.

So now I send you off. Off to my dear friend Laura’s blog, where you are sure to see something fabulous. I hope that, if you didn’t get to hop with us this month, you will next month! We would love to have you. Thank you so much for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Bombshell Blog: http://bombshellstamps.blogspot.com/
Alison: http://alisonsrandomthoughts.blogspot.com (me!)
Laura: http://craftylittlewoman.blogspot.com/
Alaine: http://missalaineousmosaics.blogspot.com/
Sparkly Mary: http://sparkly-train.blogspot.com
Meredith: www.papercanteen.com
Cheryl: http://inktrap.blogspot.com
Paula: http://heyheypaula-heyheypaula.blogspot.com/
Kelli: http://www.cajunstampingqueen.blogspot.com
Stempelientje: http://stempelientje.blogspot.com/
Glittery Katie: http://ferrishyn-frontier.blogspot.com
Kathi: http://kathstales.blogspot.com

Rock Goddess

2012-01-24T07:16:00.001-05:00

Greetings! I have a card to share with you that I am entering in the latest Kenny K, Smudgy Antics and Paper Creations Ink challenges. Kenny K’s challenge is to “Bling it On,” while at Smudgy Antics, it’s “Tall, Dark & Gruesome.” Lastly, at Paper Creations Ink it’s Love/Romance. Ok…well Star from Kenny K may not be gruesome, but she’s tall (when she’s standing) and has dark hair.

Hmmm…maybe she IS gruesome…could she be hiding her fangs behind her arm? It’s possible… But it IS clear that she has a “love” for her guitar…so I think she fits into the PCI challenge.

I colored Star in with my watercolor markers and Copics. I also used some Sakura Star Dust pens as eyeliner and for her laces.

See the sparkly? That, along with the rhinestones add to the “Bling it On” challenge. The star stamp is from Inkadinkado.

And of course I wanted to get some Smeared Ink stamps on here as well, so the “Goddess” and the barbed wire are both from SI.

I hope you’ll stop by tomorrow, because it’s time for the Bombshell Stamps Hump Day Hop! I chose a fun challenge for the participants (at least, I thought it was fun!), so I do hope you’ll hop along with us. Thanks for stopping by today. Have an inspiring day!

rawr.

2012-01-22T15:02:00.001-05:00

This is kind of a late posting for me, but I really, really wanted to play along with this week’s Haunted Design House challenge (“Chic Freaks”), and I’m almost outta time! Plus, it’s been waaaaay too long since I made something creepy. So I pulled out my Smeared Ink stamps and went to work.

I started off by coloring in 2 of the Glam Vamps (because really, who’s more chic than these two?). I colored them with my “triple threat cocktail” (hmmm… I may need to coin that phrase!) of pencils, watercolor markers and Copics. Here’s a closer look.

I mounted these sinister sisters on to a olive green cardstock that I stamped and embossed the skull from Quoth the Raven. Added a few spritzes of Candy Apple Red Glimmer Mist and “rawr.” from the Creepy Lil Grumpies set.

It feels good to get my creep on again! I need to keep going with this….more of the goth, right? Hopefully this week there will be more. Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

It’s the Playtime Release Day!

2012-01-20T07:15:00.001-05:00

Hello Bloggy friends! It’s release day for the Simply B Stamps new Jude and the Rockers Collection: Playtime. I love this collection, as I’ve said all week. Today we are featuring Beep Beep Jude. And he is for sure, one of my faves of the set. You should have started this hop at the SBS Blog, so if you haven’t, please go back there to start at the beginning. Before I share my project with you, I wanted to share Phoenix’s. when he saw this image, e just had to color it in for himself! And, he wanted to make me a card with him. Why? Because this image reminded him so much of himself!

He is stoked to be on my blog again! He’s so proud of himself, and so am I. Usually you see these cars in red and yellow, right? well, at Phoenix’s school, they have those, but they also have a yellow and teal one, which Phoenix prefers.

I love how he colored Jude! Now, here’s my project.

There’s Phoenix in the car at school! If he’s outside, then he is often seen driving this car. None of the others, just this one. Why? Because he loves teal. What other 5 year old knows what teal is? That’s my boy!!!

I used watercolor markers and Copics for the image of Jude.Isn’t he a cutie?

It may be hard to see if the pic is small (by clicking on any of them, you can see it bigger), but I added some glossy accents and clear microbeads in assorted places from some added points of interest and texture. I also embossed my title. This was a ful page to make (but…aren’t they all?)! Now it’s almost time for you to keep hopping! First, here's the full hop list:

You start at the SBS blog

Alison (me!)

and end back at SBS again!

Before you get to hopping along and seeing all the fun the DT has created for you let me share some deals and two new surprise Bettys with you!

Just Betty

Just Betty is here just for fun! Waving hello to the stamping world! Isn't she just the cutest!

Next up Scrapbooking Betty!

She is ready for that crop night! Look at all her awesome little tools!!

Don’t you love them? Get all the details on how they can be yours at the SBS blog. Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Cookin’ Up Fun!

2012-01-19T07:41:00.001-05:00

Hello! We are nearing the end of the Simply B Stamps preview of the new Jude and the Rockers Playtime Collection. I hope you are enjoying this set as much as I am. It’s gotten me scrappin’ again, which I have been wanting to do so badly. Today, we are sharing Tea Time Lily.

My kids LOVE to pretend to cook. What kid doesn’t? So I snapped these pictures a few months ago while they were playing. I thought these photos were perfect with Lily.

I colored Lily in with my watercolor markers and my Copics. Look at that yummy cake she’s got! I coordinated her to what Rhiannon is wearing in the photos. And made her tablecloth blue to match my kids’ table.

It’s a simple layout, but the business of the photos and the bold colors of the paper were enough to me. No real need for embellishments beyond Lily. So why don’t you head off now to the SBS Blog to see what the rest of the Design Team has “cooked up” for you! Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Dressing Up, Rhiannon Style, and Tag, You’re it!

2012-01-18T07:46:00.001-05:00

I have two fun projects to share with you today. The first is a layout I made of my daughter featuring one of the new Jude and the Rockers Playtime collection from Simply B Stamps. The second is a project for this month’s Bombshell Stamps Pinup challenge, which is to make a tag.

For my daughter's 3rd Birthday, my husband and I got her a treasure chest filled with wonderful dress up clothes. Well, one of the first nights after she had it, she decided to put on basically all of the clothes in the chest. And as I looked at her, all I could keep seeing/hearing in my head is that episode from friends when Joey puts on Chandler’s entire wardrobe and says (in a very Chandler voice) “Could I be wearing anymore clothes?” You know the episode right? I mean, just look at all of those layers!

Silly girl! Isn’t it adorable, what she did? So, when I saw Dress Up Ariel from SBS, I knew she had to be on this layout! I tried to color her similar to the way Rhiannon looks. And I love that Ariel has a bustle, sort of like the one Rhiannon created on herself!

I used my new combination of watercolor markers and Stickles. I am really happy with how she turned out. Especially her glasses.

I used an alphabet stamp set from Technique Tuesday for my lettering, the “&” sign is from Fiskars. Then of course I used that fabulous stencil from Crafter’s Workshop for the star pattern.

And on to the next! Tag! You’re it! Laura, my good friend and Bombshell Pinup for the month of January, has challenged us to create a tag with our Bombshell Stamps. And that’s just what I did with my new (for me) Mermaid Treasure set.

I really like the mermaid in this set, but honestly, I chose this one because of all the extra goodies in it. Like the treasure chest and the plant background stamp. I like the sentiments too.

I stamped the plant stamp by coloring each individual item with my watercolor markers. The extra fish (which is another cool image in this set) were done with a few types of ink. The chest was stamped on a separate piece of cardstock, cut out, colored in and attached. The of course I had to add some Stickles to all that treasure spilling out! The sentiment was done with a Fresco pad. I added some yarn for a tassel and that was that. There’s still time to play along with this fun challenge, so won’t you join us? Go to THIS THREAD to play.

But before you start making tags, please be sure to visit the SBS blog, to see what the rest of the DT has cooked up for you. Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Lunch Time with Brittany

2012-01-17T07:11:00.001-05:00

Who’s hungry? I have the newest Jude and the Rockers preview from the new Playtime collection from Simply B Stamps. It’s Lunch Time Brittany, and she’s chowing down! Would you like to join her?

I used the latest Deconstructed Sketch for this card, though I did alter it a bit. I thought it was a really fun sketch, but Jen always has great ones!

I colored the image with a combination of watercolor markers and Copics. I really like how the rug and Brittany’s jeans came out.

I used Stickles around the edge of the card (as per the sketch) and some glittery embossing powder on the edge of the green cardstock. Gotta have some sparkle!

It’s time for you to head off now to the SBS Blog to see what the rest of the DT has created. And be sure to check out the Beyond the Burtonesque Dolls Blog for a special announcement. Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

DICC, Plus Betty, Betty, & More Betty!

2012-01-15T08:45:00.001-05:00

Hello! It’s going to be a busy week for me, as Simply B Stamps has a brand new (and adorable!) collection to share with you. That preview kicks off today, as well as the first new Desert Islands Crafters Challenge of 2012! Today, our very own Lelia Pierce has her itinerary up today. As always, to play along, you need to use at least 3 items.

1) Monochromatic

2) Stitching

3) Metal

4) Embossing

5) No Designer/Pattern Paper

6) Handmade Flower

7) Distressing

8) Sentiment

9) Up Cycle

10) Chipboard

If you visited the SBS Blog yesterday, you may have seen the card I am about to share with you. We have a new challenge up, and you can get all of the deets there. But, I also wanted to use that card for today’s DICC, so I waited to post it here until today. I used #’s 2, 3, 4, 8, and 10.

I know, I know…it’s Winter. But I really love that little turkey. And this Betty (Fall Frolic Betty) is just so joyful! I needed to use this image.

I used watercolor markers and Copics (for the skin only) on this image. Seriously, I love that turkey!

So, perhaps Leila wanted us to use actual “metal”…but I did “metallic” instead. I rubbed a bronze metallic pigment on to the embossed area. You can see it best in this photo. My stitching is a rub on.

On to the first preview for the new Jude and the Rockers Playtime collection. I have been waiting and waiting for this set to come out, because it reminds me so much of my little ones! You’ll see why…

This is Spelling Blocks Oscar. He is done with Copics and watercolor markers too. Like Oscar, my son loves to build. Like seriously LOVES it. So I just had to make a layout with pics of him doing one of the things he does best.

Please remember that you can click on this (or any other) picture to see it bigger. Here’s my Phoenix in his room making a rather long wall. It’s cool at first glance. But then, when I really looked at it…I saw this crazy hole that I swear, defies the laws of physics!

Do you see the arrow? It’s pointing to the crazy hole. I don’t know how he did it. It still confuses me. But I’m no engineer. He' was really proud of that hole!

In addition to the adorable Oscar, I used a mess of Glimmer Mists, a little journaling, a bit of doodling, some paper scraps and 2 stickers. I think it’s a playful layout, which is just what this new collection is all about. Just wait until you see the rest of the set!

Now it’s time for you to visit the DICC Blog and the SBS Blog, to see even more cool creations from the DT’s. Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Friends are the Flowers of Life - Tiddly Inks Blog Hop

2012-01-13T14:10:00.001-05:00

Hello! It’s time for another blog hop…Tiddly Inks style! The theme of this hop is Friends are the Flowers of Life. You can find all of the details HERE. For my card, I used Pinky.

I colored Pinky with my watercolor markers. And I did blonde hair! Which is something I never do. Here’s a close up.

I want that cupcake! Love the skully on top! For the rest of the card, I just played around with different papers and colors. I made sure that most of the circles had flowers in them, because of the theme, and of course, my sentiment goes with the theme as well. It says “you are my best friend.” I “built” it with words that I have from K & Co. If you notice, they are all different colors. But to make them work together a little better, I inked the edges of each word in the same pretty shade of green. This unifies them a bit.

I added a few blobs of Stickles for some sparkle…cause how could I not add some sparkle to this card? ;) I think it’s a sweet card.

There is a lot more hopping to be done! Be sure to hop back to Tiddly Inks to see the other wonderful creations!

For those of you that frequent my blog, I have some exciting news! I sold my first Washer Necklace on Etsy! I am so, so excited! And I promptly re-listed it so that perhaps I can sell some more! The blog post for it, in case you missed it, is HERE. Thanks to all of the kind words I’ve received about them. They seem to have a pretty nice following!

And thanks to all of you hoppers that are visiting for the first time! Have an inspiring day!!!

January S&S Hop: Mesh It!

2012-01-12T09:43:00.000-05:00

Hello! It's been ages since I've done a Smeared & Smudged hop, and I missed them, so I needed to play along with the latest one. The theme is "Mesh It!" You were to use mesh some how, somewhere on your project. I decided to break out some of my favorite Smeared Ink stamps for this one, so I chose 3 images, from 3 of my favorite collections.

I used one of the Gals from Chicks Dig Guns, the mesh stamp from Quoth the Raven, and "pucker up" from Lil Grumpies. I stamped everything in white, and embossed it all in clear, for dimension.

Here you can see the texture from the powder. I also went in with a white pen, and added additional highlights to the chick.

I distressed the edge of the black cardstock, and inked a bloody red around the edges of the card. Voila! It's done! Simple, but it makes a statement. Basically, you don't wanna piss this chick off!

There's a lot more hopping to be done, so get to it! Here is the full list of hoppers.

JANUARY SMEARED & SMUDGED
MEMBER BLOG HOP
BLOG ROLL

Tori
Black Dragon
Fiona
Monique
Jane
Celina
Sara
Kristy
Heather
Kapree
Helen
Alison
Sugar
Dianne
Lisa
Sharon
Pam
Ike
MaryKay

Before you go, I need to share this with you. Yetserday was my Birthday. And this morning...I think I got a present from my Mother in Law in heaven...

A beautiful rainbow!!! She always did know what I liked! :) Thank you for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Fun with Washers!

2012-01-09T07:54:00.003-05:00

Happy Monday! Today I am sharing a new obsession with you…stamping on washers. I was Pinning my little heart out a couple of weeks ago (are you on Pinterest? Follow me! Click the link on my sidebar!), and I saw some washer jewelry. This is why I love hardware stores…there are so many amazing things that you repurpose and make fabulous. Anyway, I had seen this done before, but never got around to doing it. So finding these new links re-sparked my interest. Needless to say, I’ve been making them for everyone. Necklaces and key chains. Here’s the necklace I made for Phoenix’s teachers.

What I’m really loving about making these pieces, is that I’m using my Dad’s tools to create them. These letter stamps were his, as is the old hammer that I’m using.

His teachers loved them. I chose a clear, pink heart and copper wire for these necklaces. I thought they came out really pretty. Then I thought about making some for my “Mommy Friends.”

My friends don’t wear industrial styled jewelry, so I opted to make them key chains. I put the parents names’ on the smaller washer, and the kids names’ on the large. Then I chose colored wire that I thought that they would like, and added a coordinating bead.

Well, my friends loved them. I was actually kind of surprised at how touched they were by this small gesture I made. I am thrilled that they love them.

Of course, I just had to make one for my Mom. She loves all things industrial. But I didn’t use my name with my sisters (actually, that thought never even occurred to me until just now!). Instead, I used “Grandmama” (which is what my kidlings call her) and my kids’ names. For her, I went with copper wire again (which she loves) and a frosted pink heart. She loves frosted glass, so I knew this would be the perfect bead for her.

She wears it all the time. I realized, after making a mess of these, that I needed one for myself! So I made one….but I haven’t photographed it yet. I’ll be sure to post it when I do.
I have gotten such a wonderful response to these necklaces and key chains, that I am going to put them in my Etsy Shop. I also have numbers, so I can put Birthdates, Anniversaries, etc. There are endless opportunities, so I’m hoping to get some custom orders for them. I hope you like my newest creations! Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Pin It

SBS Hop! Featuring Big Love Gun Lola

2012-01-06T06:59:00.009-05:00

It’s finally release day! I am sure that many of you have been counting down to today so that you can snag the new Simply B Stamps Teen Scene Steampunk Valentine collection. I am really excited about today, because not only are we doing a blog hop, but it’s featuring my favorite image from this new collection! I’d like to introduce you to Big Love Gun Lola.

She is just too damn cool, if you ask me! I’ve had her colored up for so long, I have been itching to share her with you. Lola is ready to defend her love for you. That’s why I used the words “huggable heroine” for my sentiment.

I colored her in using a mix of watercolor markers and Copics. I just love doing Lola’s hair. Especially this time around. Please click on any of my pictures to see them bigger.

I used some more of the gears from the wonderful stash my Dad gave me so very long ago (I first mentioned this wonderful mix of goodies during the latest Bombshell Stamps Hump Day Hop. I attached them using Glossy Accents. They are just the little touches that this card needed to finish it off.
I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s offering from me. And I hope you have fallen in love with this new Valentine collection! Below is the complete hop list. Please be sure to leave everyone some love. Thank you for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!!!

Starts at Simply Betty Stamps blog

Alison (that’s me!)

ends back at Simply Betty Stamps blog!

My Funky Valentine Betty

2012-01-05T07:51:00.001-05:00

It’s time for another preview of the new Simply B Stamps Teen Scene Valentine Steampunks collection. Today we are previewing My Funky Valentine Betty. I am aslo going to share Box of Chocolates Miller with you, as I didn’t have a post for him on Monday.

Don’t they make a cute couple? I hadn’t intended on using them together, but after I colored them, I realized how nicely they coordinated.

Isn’t Betty pretty? She’s very Victorian, with just a hint of steampunk. So for those of you not really into that style, she would be perfect for you. But if you love steampunk, there are so many ways you can up the ante with her.

And here’s sweet Miller. I love his top hat, and the adorable look on his face. Both images were colored with a variety of markers. There are even some hints of sparkle on the gears!

One more day to go! Tomorrow is release day, and we have an awesome blog hop planned for you! But for now, please visit the rest of the SBS DT by going over to the SBS Blog. Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Steampunk Valentines: Hearts a Flutter Christian

2012-01-04T07:26:00.001-05:00

Hello! I am back with another image from the new Simply B Stamps release: Teen Scene Steampunk Valentines. Today we are previewing Christian (the whole set will be available for purchase on Friday). As always, I love Christian. The images of him are often some of my faves in the SBS sets.

Look at the cool flying heart he built! Doesn’t he look proud? I colored him with black hair for the first time, and I like how it came out.

I used a mix of watercolor markers and Copics (I know, I know…some of you are probably gasping at me using watercolor markers with solvent markers all the time!). I also used a clock screen by Tim Holtz. Up the side of the image I stamped “achieve endless possibilities” from Inkadinkado.

Are you enjoying the previews so far? I will have another one for you tomorrow. That card combines two of the new images. But for now, please hop over to the SBS Blog to see what the rest of the DT has created for your viewing pleasure. Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

SBS Teen Scene Valentine Preview: Rio

2012-01-03T07:25:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year! After taking a few days off from bloggyland, I am back and I am going to share a card made with one of the latest Simply B Stamps. This latest collection is the Teen Scene Valentine. And it’s all about love and steampunk! Which, you probably know I adore steampunk. What’s funny, is that my Mom is the one who told me about it a couple of years ago. She loves it even more than me, I think! But enough about me…here is “A Heart for You Rio.”

I love her birdie friend! He is supposed to be a raven, but I thought that I needed some blue on the card.

I colored the image with my watercolor markers and my Copics (I officially own a whopping 10 Copics now!). I added the gears in the background by using a Tim Holtz screen and Distress ink.

I added a few rhinestones for some sparkle, and a couple of punched cogs. My sentiment is from K and Co.
I’ll be back tomorrow with another sneaky peek from this sweet and funky new line. Be sure to visit the SBS Blog to see what the rest of the DT gals have done with this new image of Rio. Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

I entered this card into the current Paper Creations Ink challenge: Die Cuts and/or Punches. My gears are punches.

December Bombshell Stamps Hump Day Hop: Give it to Me, Baby!

2011-12-28T00:01:00.005-05:00

Seasons Greetings! It is time for the very last Bombshell Stamps Hump Day Hop for 2011! I can't believe the year is just about over. I had a great time with the theme for the hop. This month, the theme is "Give it to Me, Baby!" What's that mean? You had to make a gift for someone using your Bombshell Stamps. Even if that someone is you! This also meant no cards. Unless of course, you are making a super snazzy gift card holder, but I wanted the participants to it the old college try and try to make something else. I'm talking jewlery, altered art, mini canvases...anything that you could give to someone as a gift. The possibilites were endless!
I combined this theme with Ms. December's (Torrey) challenge, which was Hot and Steamy. Quite interesting challenge titles we had this month, no? ;) Torrey's challenge was steampunk...which is so very Alison! Here's what I made....

I used one of those inexpensive wooden frames from Michaels. I started off with coloring my Bombshell, then I moved on to the frame. I covered it in pretty, metallic green paint. Then I painted over it using a sand colored paint with a Tim Holtz clock stencil.

Here's a close up of my Bombshell. It's Bombshell Angel, used with one of the costumes in the Halloween Digi set. I used very Victorian colors. Muted, and pretty...but a bit old looking. Not sure if you can tell, but her boots, hat, and arm bands have Glossy Accents on them. I also gave her a monacle.

All of the watch parts that I used were from my Dad. He used to work for Bulova, the watch company, many, many moons ago. He gave me a fabulous bag full of parts forever ago, and I just recently unearthed it from the hole it was hiding in. I squealed with delight, to say the least. I had been looking for it for quite some time. I just knew I had to use these precious pieces on this frame. I attached them all with Glossy Accents. They look really cool in real life.

I hope you like my frame! I wonder who will be receiving it??? One of the gals listed in the hop below! Hmmm....I wonder which project I'll be getting?! Time for me to hop around to see what the possibilities are! Here is the complete list of participants. Please stop by and leave some love for everyone. And I hope that you will be hopping with us in January! Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Bombshell Blog: http://bombshellstamps.blogspot.com/

Alison: http://alisonsrandomthoughts.blogspot.com/ (me!)

Sparkly Engineer Mary: http://sparkly-train.blogspot.com/

Torrey: http://left-field-studio.blogspot.com/

Alex: http://paperandstring.blogspot.com/

Alaine: http://missalaineousmosaics.blogspot.com/

Milo: http://milolilja.net/

Meredith: http://www.papercanteen.com/

Kathi: http://kathstales.blogspot.com/

The Cardinal: Day 12 of the S&S 12 Days of Christmas

2011-12-23T06:00:00.001-05:00

Hello bloggy friends! Welcome to the 12th day of the Smeared & Smudged 12 Days of Christmas. I cannot believe this is the end! But have no fear, I will of course be around with plenty of new things…including some jewelry! But on to today’s card. I made this for a commission I had from Phoenix’s former teacher. She and I have a mutual love and respect for cardinals, so there had to be one in each of her cards (the other card I had made for her was in the beginning of the month). This one is a bit more rustic than the first card.

I had done a few versions, each featuring different papers where the green plaid is. But all were very…log-cabin-y, if you catch my drift.

The cardinal is perched quite regally on the boughs of holly, as he should be. They are such beautiful birds. Cardinals are the main way my Dad comes to visit me. For example (and there are many, many examples), as soon as I found out I was pregnant with Rhiannon, a cardinal couple made their nest on my porch in our wisteria vine. There were 3 babies, and they all flourished. It was my Dad’s way of congratulating us. That had never happened before or since that singular time. I still have the nest. <3

I hope you have enjoyed the 12 Days of Christmas. I wish I had more time to hop around! But thank you so very much to those of you that came by to visit. Your words mean so much to me, and in the new year, I plan on reciprocating. You all rock my socks, and I so enjoy seeing your creations. Thank you for inspiring me, and I hope I have inspired you. Be sure to visit the rest of the Jolly Bloggers, one last time. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Blessed Yule, etc. Thank you for stopping by!!!

Windy Pine: Day 11 of the S&S 12 Days of Christmas

2011-12-21T08:30:00.001-05:00

How can it be so late on the month already?! It’s already Day 11 of Smeared & Smudge's 12 Days of Christmas. I cannot believe it! I had such aspirations! Such dreams of what I could create! I got some of the things done…but very few. Well, there’s always next year I guess! But enough of this bah-humbug attitude! I do have a new card to share with you today. And I utilized a paint chip again.

I chose this chip for the bottom color…it’s called “Windy Pine.” Isn’t that a great name for a color? I mean, can’t ya just smell it???

I picked a different tree from Tattered Angels…from the same set I used on Saturday. Love this set! The sentiment is also a part of it. I embossed the tree in a hunter green, and the “Winter Wishes” in Queen’s Gold. I inked around the edge of my cream colored card base, and that was it. Simple but pretty.

And now I am off! Off to try to wrap presents, finish gifts, make more cards, and to try to just b-r-e-a-t-h-e! Ha! That will probably have to wait until the New Year! Please be sure to stop by all of the Jolly Bloggers, listed in my side bar. Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Jolly Holidays: Day 10 of the 12 Days of Christmas

2011-12-19T08:02:00.001-05:00

We are nearing the end of the Smeared & Smudged 12 Days of Christmas…I can hardly believe that Christmas is almost here and that 2011 is drawing to a close. Today I have a card featuring Ali from SBS Jude and the Rockers Christmas collection.

I colored Ali with my watercolor markers. I wanted her nightgown to look satiny. I think it does.

My sentiment is from StampInsanity. And I added some felt holly leaves and a couple beads of red Stickles for berries.

Are you all done with shopping? Sadly, I am not. I don’t have much to do (thankfully, the kidlings are done!)…but I really hate shopping at the last minute. I hope you got finished with your list! It’s time for you to head over to the rest of the Jolly Bloggers, listed in my side bar. Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Happy Birthday Phoenix! Plus, Day 9 of the S&S 12 Days of Christmas

2011-12-17T07:56:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday to my son Phoenix! He turns 5 today! I can’t believe I have been a Mommy for 5 years. And to such a wonderful boy! And yes, it is very hectic having both kids Birthdays only 2 days apart. :) Of course, I am sharing the card I made for Phoenix with you today, as well as my latest holiday card.

This adorable little monster is from Bugaboo. I thought he was perfect for Phoenix. I colored him pink, since he loves the color.

Seriously…what a cutie! I colored the image with my watercolor markers.

Here’s the inside. I repeated the border that I have on the outside of the card, and the sentiment is nice and sparkly. I love that my boy loves pink and sparkle. He is already so much his own person.

A bit more sparkle on the outside, as I held the cabochons on with Stickles. I think he’s going to really like his card!

Now on to my latest for the Smeared & Smudged 12 Days of Christmas. Did you know I have an obsession with paint chips?

Yup! That’s a mighty big paint chip that is making up the background of my card! It’s from Behr, and you can find them at Home Depot. I love them because they are so big!

Both stamps that I used are from Tattered Angels. And I embossed them with the same sparkly powder that I used in Phoenix’s card above. If you are going to try stamping on paint chips, remember that they are a bit slippery, so be careful not to slide your stamp while making an impression.

You can see a bit of the gloss here…but it is sooo much prettier in person!

And in this pic, though it’s darker (on purpose) you can see some of the holographic colors from the glitter in the powder. If you click on this pic, you’ll really be able to see it.

Now it’s time for you to visit the rest of the Jolly Bloggers, listed in my side bar. But! Before you go, here are some pictures of my Phoenix!

Happy Birthday Phoenix!!!

Happy Birthday Rhiannon! New DICC and Day 8 of the 12 Days of Christmas

2011-12-15T06:54:00.001-05:00

It’s my Baby Girl’s 3rd Birthday today! I cannot believe she’s 3. The time has gone by so fast. Every day she amazes me. I decided to use the newest Desert Islands Crafters Challenge for her Birthday card. Today's Itinerary come from Krissy Fossmeyer, on of our most recent additions to the Island.

Krissy’s Itinerary

1. Buttons

2. Brads

3. Brown & Pink/Blue

4. Cake

5. Stripes

6. Rounded Corners

7. Jute or Hemp

8. The Word 'Happy'

9. Flower

10. Acetate

This sweet little fairy is from Neatz Art Blog, which is my friend Anita Marie’s blog. This sweet fairy is named Little Lily, and she is just purr-fect for Rhiannon. I used numbers 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 from the Itinerary.

I loved coloring her. And I think that once Rhiannon sees Little Lily, she’s going to want me to print her out so that she can color her in too. I used my watercolor markers for her. Can I just say it was so much fun to color her hair? The way Anita Marie drew it, it’s just wonderful!

This is the inside of the card. Simply, but sparkly! And I used the paper from the outside of the card to tie it all together.

Of course there’s even more sparkle on the outside. Let’s face it, she is my daughter! I can’t wait to give it to her today!

Now I have my latest Bombshell Stamps card, which was done not only with this month’s Bombshell sketch, but also in conjunction with Day 8 of the Smeared & Smudged 12 Days of Christmas.

Talk about sweet! Mmmmm…I love gingerbread! Look! She smelled so good I had to take a bite out of her! ;) She’s from the newest digi collection; Gingerbread Pin-Up. This set is Limited Edition, so if you like it, grab it quick before it’s gone! By the way, you can see the sketch and what the rest of the Bombshell folks did HERE.

I used my colored pencils for the Gingerbread Girl, as I needed to get her Cookie-Ness just the right color. She’s lookin’ a little pink in this photo, but trust me…in real life, she looks mighty tasty!

The sentiment is also from this new digi set. Super cute! So hop on over to the Bombshell Blog to see all of the latest sketchy goodness. And be sure to visit the Jolly Bloggers, listed in my sidebar. Last but certainly not least, check out the DICC blog, to see what other creations the gals came up with for this latest Itinerary.

And, since I’m sure you’re all waiting for it…here’s my sweet Rhiannon…my (sniff!) 3 Year Old!!!

New BtBD and Day 7 of the 12 Days of Christmas

2011-12-13T07:31:00.001-05:00

Hello! It’s time for another Beyond the Burtonesque Dolls challenge! In addition, this project is also for Day 7 of the Smeared & Smudged 12 Days of Christmas.

I got this cool digi from Tiddly Inks a while ago. Of course, it’s Jack Skellington from Nightmare Before Christmas…done up as an ornament! So, I decided to turn it into a gift tag.

I did some shading with my E40 Copic marker, and I used a couple of Sakura Stardust pens on the ornament holder. I added an eyelet and a pretty, sparkly fiber.

I added the digi to a piece of cardboard that was a glossy white on one side. Obviously, I left that side on the outside. Then I stamped the “to” and “from.” It’s a simple project, but who wouldn’t want to get this cute little Jack on their present?

Now it’s time for you to not only check out the rest of the Jolly Bloggers (listed in my side bar), but it’s also time to go to the Beyond the Burtonesque Dolls Blog. We haven’t had a lot of visitors there since we’ve switched from the original BDB…so it would be wonderful if you visited! Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Swirling Snowflakes: Day 6 of the S&S 12 Days of Christmas

2011-12-11T07:36:00.001-05:00

Hello! Today I have a snowflake card to share with you. It’s kind of a basic card…no coloring involved, but I had a lot of embossing to do on it.

I used 2 images from Tattered Angels. I started off with the large snowflake…inked it, embossed it, and then added the swirl. I inked the edge of the patterned paper in dark blue. I also did it on the card base. But, I embossed with the same gold (Queen’s Gold from Ranger) on top of of the blue, so only a little blue shows. But the added gold was necessary in my eyes.

Isn’t it a pretty gold? It’s my favorite that I have. It’s so bright. Last, I added some pearl cabochons from Recollections randomly. I liked the extra texture.

I think this is the shortest post I’ve had in a long time! Please be sure to stop by the rest of the Jolly Bloggers, listed in my side bar. Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!