Challenge #9 at A Step in the Dark - Anything Goes/Steampunk

I am loving being on the team at A Step in the Dark! Fabulous teamies, fabulous sponsors and fabulous images and a chance to get my dark side on more often. Today is no exception and this fortnight we have 3 sponsors for you... so I have three projects to show you!!

First up is the first time I have worked with the Oddball Art Co. and hopefully not the last time - the images are just the perfect mix of cute and creepy. I have used the Fairy Bat Girl Image No 69 and coloured her in promarkers. I have used a background paper from an old set by Hot Off the Press and finished the card with some diecuts and a sentiment sticker from Pebbles inc.
I will enter this card in the following challenges - 
Oddball Art Co Challenge - Non-Traditional Hair Colours
Little Red Wagon - Girl Power 
Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps - Wonderful Wednesday
 

My next creation uses Jarrod by Rick St Dennis - this is a Steampunk image and that's the optional twist at this new challenge. Again my trusty Promarkers have been used with some Vintage Photo DI to age the background of the image. I have used Graphic 45 Steampunk Spells papers with dies from Tim Holtz and Joy Crafts.
I will enter this card in the following challenges:
7Kids College Fund - Anything Goes with Dies
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
 
 

Finally, The Stamping Chef are also sponsoring us this week and I have used a new image called Bungle Bunny. My paper is Authentique (I think!) and I've added Black Soot DI to the image and some die cuts to finish.





I will enter this Stamping Chef card at the following challenges:
The Stamping Chef - #44 Anything Goes
Inky Impressions - #174 Anything Goes
Scrapper's Delights - #30 Anything Goes 
 
Thanks for looking!
Mo xxx

Dog Days of Summer at Crafting By Designs

Morning folks, here's hoping its still sunny wherever you are and you're enjoying the end of the summer. The kids are back to school here and I'm enjoying a few hours with the youngest every morning before he starts nursery in October. Today we have a new challenge at Crafting by Designs - 'Dog Days of Summer' - and the sponsor is one of my favourites, Smeared Ink.

I have coloured the Calaveras Sugar Skull 3 with Promarkers and kept it very colourful instead of my usual Smeared Ink dark halloweeny themed cards! The papers and flowers are from Craftwork Cards and the sentiment is from Ginger's House.

Thanks for looking!
Mo xxx

Love to Create in Plaid!

Today I have my last project for Love to Create Challenge Blog. I will be sorry to leave this team, the ladies are fabulous and so much talent involved. I wish the team the very best for the future and I will be by now and then to enter the challenges myself now!! 

Ok, I am Scottish, we love our Tartan and this week that's what we want to see at Love to Create! Get your plaid papers out and create something for our challenge. I have used the 'Ambrose Dunderton' image from Dr Digi's House of Stamps and coloured him with promarkers for this card. I gave him tartan slippers and then couldn't find my matching tartan paper! Anyway, I have used papers from the Fancy Pants Designs 'Little Sport' paper pad and layered them up on a scalloped card blank. I have kept this plain but will add a sentiment once I have a recipient.

Thanks for looking!
Mo xxx

Open-Minded Crafting Challenge #17 Last Days of Summer

Time for my inspiration card for our current challenge at Open-Minded Crafting Challenge Fun. We have four fabulous sponsors for this one - Flat Friends, KennyK, MilkCoffee and The Paper Shelter.

I have used the image 'Three Scoops' from Flat Friends and made a peachy summery card for the midway post. I have used papers from First Edition and white pearlescent paper for layering. The sentiment is from Craftwork Cards.

Thanks for looking!
Mo xxx

Left of Center Challenge #42 Faux/Real Stitching

Time for a new challenge at Left of Center and our amazing sponsor for this week is The Stamping Chef. The theme this time is Stitching - Real or Faux - and of course you have the LOC Option too!

I have had the joy of playing with the image 'Zombiefied' and coloured her with my trusty Promarkers. The paper is from An Eerie Tale by Graphic 45 and the dies are Spellbinders. The sentiment on the card was a recent freebie at Create With TLC. I have then added faux stitching with a fine black pen.

I will enter this card in the following challenges:
The Stamping Chef - #43 Anything Goes
A Girl Who Crafts - Anything Goes in August
Crafts Galore Encore Challenge - Anything Goes August
Live and Love Crafts Challenge Blog - Stitching Real or Faux
Reves 2 Scrap - Anything Goes

Thanks for looking!
Mo xxx

SLSLInes Challenge Blog and DT Call

We have found a FABulous new sponsor over at Left of Center and are sooo excited to work with these fantastic images, they are just right up my street - alternative, gothy, halloweeny, day of the dead, and more! Sal the owner of the SLSLines Etsy Shop is starting a Challenge Blog for the store and I cannot wait for the first challenge, but before that - they need a Design Team!

 

The DT call is open now and all the information you need is here. Why not checkout the SLS Lines Etsy Shop and the brand new Facebook Group too while you're here! 

I would like to put my name in the hat for the DT Call, I love working with these style of images and am thrilled that SLS Lines will be joining us as a sponsor at Left of Center. I would love the chance to join the team and help promote this amazing new digi store and designer.

Here are some recent examples of my work and more can be seen throughout my blog and I regularly post my creations and promote on Facebook - I run a Facebook group for Left of Center and contribute to A Step in the Dark and various other Alternative crafting groups too.

I look forward to hearing from SLSLines and encourage my followers to go check out the links above!
Thanks for looking!
Mo xxx

A Friendship Hop for Lisa

Welcome to my blog this morning! Today's post is a wee bit different. One of my very dearest crafty friends is in the hospital. She's had a run of ill health and incompetent doctors and been in and out of hospital for what seems like forever. Finally, she's got a great team helping her out and trying to get her better but she's still in the hospital, hooked up to IV's and monitors and being tested and poked and prodded so I thought she needed some cheering up!

So we have arranged a blog hop today! Lisa Tyrell is one of my girls at Left of Center and I have the immense pleasure of being on a few other design teams with her and we all miss her terribly! I sent out the smoke signals and got in touch with the ladies at Left of Center, A Step in the Dark, PunkyouGirl, Lelli-bot Crafts, The East Wind and Lisa's Facebook Group 'Mad Crafters Giggles' and told them my plan! There are some folks on holidays and unwell themselves who all send Lisa their love and best wishes. The rest are all listed here and will be posting projects on their blogs today for Lisa.

My card uses the RagDoll image from Dilly Beans coloured with Promarkers. The skull paper is from Pebbles inc, the 'LISA' letters are from the more recent Gorjuss A4 kit from DoCrafts, the purple pearlescent and blue metallic cards are from my stash. The skull border is a cut file for my new Silhouette Cameo!

I will enter it in the following challenges:
Dilly Beans - Skulls

And here's the blogroll! You are here at Maureen and that's the start, Jackie is next - it would be great to see you all hopping around the fabulous creations from the rest of the ladies. If you're short on time, please visit Lisa's blog at the end of the list and leave her some love! 

Maureen Scott – http://maureenjscott.blogspot.co.uk

Jackie Cornfield - http://getthejclook.blogspot.co.uk/

Vicky Fortier - http://crafting-vicky.blogspot.ca/

Zoe Russell - http://zoeblingcards.blogspot.co.uk

Teresa Morgan - http://thefatcactus.co.uk

Bettina Leikvoll - http://bettandshobbykrok.blogspot.no

PaulineMargaret Stewart - http://pauline-paulinemargaret.blogspot.co.uk

Karen Willis - http://kazkayla.blogspot.co.uk/

Linda Simpson - http://lindasimpsoncraftypieceofheaven.blogspot.com

Kay Roche - http://kayscraftydesigns.blogspot.ie/

Erin Bentley - http://followyourcraftyside.blogspot.co.uk/

Kath Muckypaws Halstead - http://muckypaws69.blogspot.co.uk

Kristy Deyette - http://kristybloominjourney.wordpress.com/

Susan Renshaw – http://susanrenshaw0404.blogspot.com

Kay Mowat - http://kaym74.blogspot.com

Fiona Walker - http://feesca1.blogspot.co.uk/

Stephanie Lukaszewski - http://stephscreativechaos.blogspot.ca/

Kyra Eunkyo Kim - http://unkylastrange.blogspot.com/

Catherine Craftyhands Wilson Dobbs - http://catscraftymess.blogspot.co.uk/
Sheena Fitzpatrick - http://sshhhcreations.blogspot.co.uk/ 

Lisa Tyrell - http://www.pinkylisasinkycrafts.blogspot.co.uk/

Thanks for being here today!

Mo xxx 

Lucy Loo Pirates at The East Wind

Hi folks! Well, my hand is on the mend, getting there slowly but surely and I've been having a play with my pens on and off for a few days. This is the first proper colouring I've done, it's not my best work, but will have to do! I also got a new toy! I procured a second hand Silhouette Cameo from eBay and I may well be in love! I so wish I had done this before now!

Today is the start of a new Facebook contest for The East Wind - Check out our Facebook Group if you're not yet a member! The theme from now till September 17th is 'Arrgh...Pirates' and we have a fabulous new Lucy Loo Pirates image available at the Etsy shop - you dont have to use this, feel free to use any TEW images for your project but stay within the theme.

I have used a paper from the 'Forever in Time' Perfect Prints 'Vintage' paper pad, some black organza ribbon and black sticky pearls. The frame, sentiment and other black embellishments are cut on the Cameo. As always I have coloured my image using Promarkers.

I will enter this card in the following challenges-
That Craft Place Challenge Blog - Nautical
Moving Along with the Times - Feeling a Little Vintage
Crafty Girls Challenge - #25 Anything Goes

Thanks for looking!
Mo xxx

Rock Around the Clock with Crafting By Designs

The theme is in the title! We want to see you rock with this week's challenge! Whether you interpret that with music - rock, goth, heavy metal, pop, punk or whatever your style is - we'd love to see it at Crafting By Designs! I have used the 'Saturday Night Steven' image from Dr Digi's House of Stamps, one of this week's sponsors. I have coloured him with promarkers and found the most amazing and apt papers - the DCWV Rock Star Mat Stack! I have used the guitar image paper and some foiled card too for the background. I layered him on another sheet from the same papers and stamped the sentiment using Clarity Stamps 'Letterbox' stamp set on the same paper.

Thanks for looking!
Mo xxx

Pearls and PolkaDots at Love to Create

Oh dear, a bit late with this one, but better late than never I suppose! We have a new challenge at Love to Create, sponsored by 'MilkCoffee' and the theme is 'Pearls and Polka Dots'.

I have used the 'Tiffany in Wonderland' image, coloured with Promarkers and mounted onto blue Colour Core-dinations. I've added a sentiment from Craftwork Cards, pearls and white bow to finish and the spotty paper is from the bottom of a huge stash!

Thanks for looking!
Mo xxx

Left of Center Challenge #41 - Inspired by A Song

It's time for a new challenge at Left of Center - dont forget to pop over and check out the winners from our last challenge too! This week we are sponsored by A Day for Daisies and the theme is 'Music Makes the World Go Round' - so we want to see your Music Inspired projects, or indeed your LOC creations!

I have used 'Favourite Boots Ever' which is one of my favourite ADFD images! My sentiment is from Create with TLC. And my song is 'These Boots are Made for Walking' by Nancy Sinatra! I have coloured the image using Promarkers and my papers are from the Forever in Time Perfect Prints Purple Passion paper pad. The flowers are from Craftwork Cards.

Thanks for looking!
Mo xxx

Challenge #13 'For the Kiddies' at The East Wind

We have a new challenge starting for you today at The East Wind and this time we would like to see you make something for the kids!

I have coloured my image using Promarkers and have used papers from the DCWV The Kidlet stack. I didn't add a sentiment as I love the one on the paper and have cut some tabs to reflect the shape of the sentiment on there too.

I will enter this in the following challenges:

Here are the links you need -

The East Wind Blog

The East Wind Facebook Group

The East Wind Facebook 'like' page

The East Wind Etsy Shop!

 

 Thanks for looking!

Mo xxx

A Step in the Dark Challenge #8

We have the fabulous Smeared Ink joining us again this fortnight at A Step in the Dark, a dark themed challenge! And the dark theme for this challenge is - Anything Goes!! We know you love AG themes and we love to see your dark unrestricted projects! If you saw my last post for A Step in the Dark you'll remember that I used 'The First Keeper' from Smeared Ink - today I'm using 'The Second Keeper'.

I have used my Promarkers as always to colour this image and added some Black Soot DI around the edges. The papers are from An Eerie Tale by Graphic 45. I've finished with a bow and some card candi.

Thanks for looking!
Mo xxx

Polka Dots Galore at Crafting by Designs

It's time for a dotty challenge at Crafting by Designs this week! I have had the pleasure of using an image from one of our sponsors - Lacy Sunshine - and have had a ball with the 'Polka Dot' theme! I have used the Cematerie and Bunny image and coloured it with Promarkers. I have used papers from two different Halloween paper pads- the green papers is BoBunny and the Polka Dot is Pebbles inc. I've added Dusty Concord DI to the edges of the polkadot paper to match the polka dots on her dress - I added a few extra on there when I was colouring her! The ribbon is from my stash, the web corners are Cheery Lynn and the picture wheel is Tim Holtz.

Thanks for looking!
Mo xxx

Inspired by a Song/Movie/Book at Love to Create

Let your favourite song or movie or book inspire you this week at Love to Create! I was so inspired I made two projects to show you today! We are sponsored by The Stamping Chef and I had the pleasure of working with the image 'Jolene' - I had a bit of a brain freeze when picking an image to work with for this challenge and when I saw 'Jolene' I immediately got the song of the same name stuck in my head so that's the inspiration for that card. However, on eventually getting that song out my head, I made a card using 'Bite Me' based on the Rob Zombie track 'Living Dead Girl' or indeed any of the GOOD vampire movies... none of these sparkly vampires for me!!!

So, this is 'Bite Me' which I've coloured with Promarkers to match the brand new Graphic 45 papers 'An Eerie Tale' - this is like to feature heavily in my projects the next few months leading up to Halloween - it's slowly becoming my new favourite after Steampunk Spells! I have used tags and elements from the papers to layer up and added some black die cuts to stand out against the purple pearlescent paper I've used for layering.

And this is Jolene, also coloured with Promarkers. I have used a Kraft card blank and some more Craftwork Cards embossed kraft card for layering. The papers are from Prima's 'Believe' paper pad and I have added some faux stitching - again I got myself confused with this card and thought I was making it for a challenge elsewhere... hence the faux stitching!

I will enter 'Bite Me' into the following challenges -
The Crafter's Cafe Challenge Blog - Lots of Layers
Eureka Stamps - Things With Wings (bats!)
Stamp and Create - Anything Goes
Stamplorations - Stamps and Die Cuts

I will enter 'Jolene' into the following challenges -
That Craft Place Challenge - Autumn
My Craft Creations - Anything Goes
Crafting from the Heart - #31 Anything Goes


Hey, I got there in the end and two cards for the price of one today! Hope you can join our challenge this week!
Thanks for looking!
Mo xxx

Smudgefest 2014 - Synonymous Sunday

Wow! I cant believe it's the end of Smudgefest for 2014! I am thrilled to say that I was picked as a random winner a few days ago and I am looking forward to getting some very funky Smeared Ink Red Rubber!
This is my last post for this event this week and it's using the Smeared Ink 'Mary, Mary' image which was provided for the challenge. A difficult one for me, given that I've not coloured at all since my surgery so my colouring is strained and not to my usual standard!

I have used paper and elements from Graphic 45's new 'An Eerie Tale collection' and the Tim Holtz on the edge die 'Twigs'. I felt that the 'Fairy Tale' type papers went well with the nursery rhyme image - with that dark twist - and added a few lines! The colouring has done in my hand so I am ready for bed, putting it together to make a card has been a struggle!!

But, I have signed up for the 31 Days of Halloween Smeared Ink event in October and am looking forward to sharing Halloween/Day of the Dead creations all month - here's hoping my hand gets healed quick and I can get started!

This image is also the 'freaky freebie' for the Smeared and Smudged Forum challenges this month so I'll be linking up there too.

Thanks for looking!
Mo xxx

Smudgefest 2014 - Saturday Splatter

Today is Day 6 of Smudgefest and it's Saturday Splatter! They want us to get messy!! Now, messy house I can do, messy desk I can do... but messy creations... not sure!
I was totally inspired by Teresa Morgan's Day 3 entry - she made a 'chunky page' which I've not seen before but I thought I would like to try one. This is a 4x4" piece of art and I've just used some black card.
I have used the Monster Heart 'Phlem' again from Smeared Ink and coloured him red this time. The stamping is from the Clarity Letterbox Set and the punch along the bottom is Martha Stewart Drippy Goo.

Now for the messy bit! The background started off as white card. There was a tutorial in a recent Craft Stamper magazine for faux gelli-printing. By using acrylic paints on plastic - such as the A plate from the Cuttlebug which is what I used! I got the kids to help and we all pulled some colourful prints. I cut mine down to just under 4x4" to mount on the black and finished it by stamping the Visible Image Ripped Fishnets stamp in Black Archival ink.

Thanks for looking!
Mo xxx

Open-Minded Crafting Challenge #16 Summer Food!

Our current challenge at Open-Minded Crafting Fun Challenges is #16 - Summer Food. We are thrilled to be sponsored by DigiStamps4Joy, Oak Pond Creations, The East Wind and Whoopsi Daisy.

I have used Ice Cream Fantasia from DigiStamps4Joy and coloured this with my Promarkers. I have used papers from First Edition and a sentiment from Craftwork Cards. The tabs were hand cut and the circle is a Spellbinders die.

Thanks for looking!
Mo xxx

Smudgefest 2014 - Flight of Fancy

Today's Smudgefest Day 5 Challenge is titled 'Flight of Fancy' and the brief is to incorporate 'wings' into our projects. I have gone with a Poe theme and as well as entering my project in Smudgefest Day 4 I will also be entering at Quoth the Raven, Nevermore where the theme is 'Anything Poes'.

I have used my Quoth The Raven rubber stamp set from Smeared Ink along with Black Archival ink. I have kept this very simple... more because it's almost midnight! I have stamped the background using the texture stamps from the set and on a separate piece of paper stamped the collage image and the wording stamps. I mounted the collage and words onto red pearlescent paper and finished the card with matching candi!

Thanks for looking!
Mo xxx

Anything Goes Dark Themed Challenge at Left of Center

We have a new Anything Goes challenge at Left of Center starting just now. There is a twist though - it must be dark themed. So think Goth, Emo, Horror, Fantasy, dark and scary and join us! Our sponsor this week is Limited Runs and I have used the 'Alexandree' image to create my card this week!

I have coloured him using my Promarkers as usual. I have used paper from Bo Bunny for the background. The embossing is a sample of colour core core'dinations with a Cuttlebug embossing folder which I've sanded down slightly. The sentiment is from Gingers House and I've finished the card with some zombie arms coming out the ground!

Thanks for looking!
Mo xxx

Smudgefest 2014 - Toil and Trouble

Today is Day 4 of Smudgefest! We have a recipe of sorts and I have created a Halloween wall hanging from a cardboard base. The other items from the cauldron I have used are - black (for the die and Black Soot ink), Ribbon (for hanging), Bones (on the ribbon).... if it wasn't so late at night I might have popped some glitter on there too for good measure!

  

I've used papers from Nicki Sivill's Boo-tiful paper pad and some Halloween stickers from my stash. The image is from Smeared Ink coloured using Promarkers and the 'bunting' is the Cheery Lynn 'Witch's laundry die.

Thanks for looking!
Mo xxx

Smudgefest 2014 - Wicked Wednesday

Welcome to my Day 3 post for Smudgefest 2014! Today is Wicked Wednesday and we've to take inspiration from a wicked photo shown here!

I have always seen peacock feathers as being like eyes and so have taken inspiration from the 'eyes', the colours and, of course, the feathers! I have created a tag using Monster Hearts 'Phlem' with his big eye. He has been coloured using Promarkers. The tag is inked using Peacock Feathers and has been stamped and embossed using the Visible Image 'Ripped Fishnets' background stamp. I have added a layered flower with candi and printed a sentiment using Word.

Thanks for looking!
Mo xxx

Smudgefest 2014 - Terrifying Tuesday

Today is Day 2 of Smudgefest 2014! The theme today is Terrifying Tuesday and we have to use our favourite scary image! Now this may not be that scary to some, but I find the thought of an all seeing, omnipotent, Santa person quite scary - I used to always cry as a child at the Christmas song quoted on today's card!! So, I have used 'Watchful Eye' from Smeared Ink as my scary image and made an 'alternative' Christmas card, complete with freaky vintage santas!!!

I have coloured with my Promarkers and the papers are from My Mind's Eye. I have used Old Paper and Vintage Photo Distress Inks. The die is the new Memory Box 'Haunted Webs'.
Thanks for looking!
Mo xxx

Smudgefest 2014 - Mixed Media Monday

Happy Monday folks! Some of you will know that i had Carpal Tunnel Decompression surgery last Thursday, most of the posts for the next few weeks were all written before my surgery so the pressure is off for me to create for DTs etc for the next few weeks. This week, however, is Smudgefest 2014 and I fully plan to join in every day for the 7 day event! I had the foresight to colour some fabulous Smeared Ink images last week before the op so here's hoping I can make something each day to the daily theme.

Today is 'Mixed Media Monday' and the brief is to make something, with an SI stamp included, which uses 3 different colouring mediums. I started by making my own background paper. This is 180gsm watercolour paper sprayed with Turquoise and Crushed Grape Dylusions sprays then water through a Dutch Doobadoo barbed wire stencil to create a ghosting effect.

I cut this to 14cm square, edged it with Black Soot distress ink and mounted onto a 6x6 scalloped square card. The edges of the card were inked with Dusty Concord and Peacock Feathers DI to match the dylusions. The image is a SI digi called Dead Dancer Falling and she is coloured with Promarkers and edged with Peacock Feathers and Black Soot DI.

To finish the card, I have used the LaRue Flourish from Memory Box and some metallic self adhesive dots. The sentiment was printed from Word using the 'Simply Glamorous' font.

I will enter this at Smudgefest and the following challenges -
Haunted Design House - Deja-Vu Doo (previously made this card!)
Smudgy Antics - August AG
Stamping Sensations - August AG
Come and Get it Challenge - It's all about Dies

Thanks for looking!
Mo xxx

Anything Goes at Love to Create

Good morning folks! Well, I had my Carpal Tunnel surgery on Thursday of last week and so I'm writing this in advance of Monday! I'm hoping you all have a great weekend and hoping to that I am on the mend!

Today is a new challenge at Love to Create and the theme is one I know you'll love - Anything Goes!
Our fabulous sponsor this week is Kenny K and I have used the 'Lady Raven' image, coloured her with Promarkers and teamed her up with a fab sentiment from Gingers House. The purple paper is from Nikki Sivil's Boo-tiful paper pad and the skull doilies were an eBay find! The butterflies are from Cheery Lynn.

I am entering this at the current Kenny K challenge 'Anything Goes: Twist Music' - I know it doesn't look musical, but this image reminds me of Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights at The Cathouse Rock Club in Glasgow as a teen and the best boots I ever owned that looked not unlike hers!
Thanks for looking!
Mo xxx

Challenge #39 at Left of Center... It's Christmas!!!

I hope you are enjoying our weekly challenges at Left of Center!!!
This week we have the fabulous Ike's Art sponsoring us and it's Christmas time!!! Or Creepmas time if you prefer!

I have used the Christmas Pixie image and coloured her with Promarkers. The papers are from My Mind's Eye. The sentiment and candi are from Craftwork Cards. The die is the Memory Box LaRue Flourish.

I will enter this card in the following challenges:

Thanks for looking!
Mo xxx