BBTB2 Monogram Challenge

This week at BBTB2 I've got an easy challenge for you- Monograms. Better yet, monograms from ANY cartridge. I'm always in need to a note card of some sort and think monograms are a nice personal touch for any correspondence. I chose the Art Nouveau cartridge because I think those mongrams are particularly elegant and made a shaped card in DS by copying, flipping and welding the swirly base and then hiding all of the inner contours to make the card more "solid". Note: in DS, you have to close the file and reopen it to hide contours on a copy and pasted image (kind of a PITA, but...) I chose a classic cream and black color scheme and some DP from my fave K&Co 8x8 stack.

My original plan was to keep this card flat for ease of mailing but...well, you know. I added a bit of texture too with my Cuttlebug and Swiss Dots, some adhesive beads to further deck it out and there ya go. My DT sisters hit it out of the park this week. Some used cartridges I'd not even heard of yet. Eiyiyi, clearly I'm not keeping up. So hop on by BBTB2 to be inspired, please play along with a new card, hook it up to Mr. Linky with a link to your post, not your blog and a shout out to BBTB2 with a link back to us to spread the word. Thanks so much!

I'm also entering this in the Gingersnaps Creations challenge #140 use only Two Colors.

Macabre Monday Which Witch are You?

Greetings, friends. Our challenge this week at Haunted Design House is Which Witch are YOU? Create a dark, Gothic or Halloween-based project representing YOU at your witchy best OR if you'd rather not represent yourself in that way, choose your favorite witch of all time and use her as your muse. Ever since "Bewitched", I've been fascinated by witches (the good ones) and dreamed of spells and potions and of course, my faithful familiar so I've created a little scene using one of the Which Which silhouettes from Stitchy Bear and isolated and assembled animal elements from the Bugaboo Happy Halloween Cat. I masked a full moon and colored the background with Distress Inks. The sentiment is computer generated.

Inside, I've completed the sentiment using a similar inked background. Simple, but effective I think, and perfect for Halloween or a special occasion for a witchy friend. A number of the Minions are out this week so please send healing vibes and don't forget to visit HDH on Wednesday for the winners of last week's challenge, and the always fab post by Creepy Glo.

I'm also entering it in the Forever Night anything Goes (but Keep it Dark) Challenge.

Dilly Beans In Stitches

It's Friday, and that means time for another fun challenge at the Dilly Beans Designers and Challenge Blog. This week we're all "In Stitches", challenged to use stitching of some sort, either real or faux, by hand or machine. To be honest, although I have a real sewing machine, I've never used my good one to sew on a project, although I've used my "mini mender" to pierce holes in my card and used a pen to connect them. This time I wanted to try something different. My first (several) attempts involved the "Sew Easy" stitch piercer. Ummm...let's just say that's a total misnomer. I either couldn't see the dots for stitching (and then do you have to poke them anyway to stitch? guess so) or when I pressed harder, the card stock buckled and creased. With lighter paper, it ripped and I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have held up to stitching anyway. Then I saw a scrap of this polka dot DP and got an idea. It looked like a party so I chose the adorable #191 Cupcake Girlie and colored her with Copics to match.

I found embroidery floss to match, as well, and used a needle to poke holes in the center of 4 of the dots and evenly around each circle and stitched from the center out. I popped my image and matted it several times, including one I embossed with the Polka Dots Cuttlebug folder to carry the theme. My fabulous DT sisters came up with all sorts of creative ways to interpret the challenge, so please stop over to the Challenge Blog and be inspired. I'm also entering this is The Stamping Boutique challenge which is also stitching.

Wicked Wednesday Quotes/Words Challenge

Happy Tuesday. Missed last week's Wicked Wednesday ATC Challenge and sure didn't want to again so here's a 5 minute ATC before I'm off to the hairdresser's to get boofy. The theme is Quotes or Words and I just had to use one of the adorable "Kid's Quotes" from Inkadinkadoo. Had the perfect paper and ribbon so there ya go! Woohoo! Later, xx

Make a Splash with BBTB2

Good morning. Yikes! I slept in with pretty bizarre dreams so I'm still a bit groggy. My dear friend, and co-team leader Carole, chose the boots from Nate's ABC'S for our BBTB2 challenge this week. Yea for that! I have no idea how long I've owned this cartridge, but the sticker on the cart told me it had never been used. Instead of the regular rain boot cut, I chose the phrase and welded it to a pond from Create a Critter and part of a paisley shape from Old West for my huge splash drops. The water was cut in light blue mirror card stock and the patterned DP is from the DCWV Linen Closet stack except for the inside mat which is BoBunny.

It is a shaped front card, welded in DS to a rounded rectangle from George. I compressed the phrase somewhat so the card wouldn't be as long which required a bit of adjustment to the boot accent layers as well. "Make a" was cut with my Cuttlebug from the Birthday Card Making Combo. the cool mirror and clear sparkle drops were from Recollections at M's.

I usually prefer to do my shaped cards with cuts that have a shadow, but this turned out alright. I had to do a bit of trimming to the phrase in order to have an additional popped layer of the second boot, and again for "Splash" to be separate. There is tons of inspiration from my DT sisters as usual this week, so please go have a look at BBTB2. Of course, we look forward to your participation and you may use boots from any cartridge. New work only please, Mentiion BBTB2 with a link back to the challenge, and link it (the post, not the whole blog) to MR. Linky. But before you do...

PLEASE DON'T SKIP THIS LAST PARAGRAPH. I've never liked word verification, especially because it is totally unnecessary with Google's Spam filter. In the 3 1/2 half years I've been blogging, I can count the number of inappropriate comments I've gotten, and ya know what? I deleted them. BIG DEAL! As a member of several DT's I'm expected to comment on challenge entries which I thoroughly enjoy doing, but you can imagine how much time and effort that takes, especially with WV. Now Blogger has added that RIDICULOUS two word garbage, in which one of them is generally illegible. I sit there and try to decipher th screwy one after writing a decent comment and invariably mess up and have to try AGAIN with something equally unreadable. I'm sorry, I'm getting old and my eyesight isn't so great, I guess. There are not enough hours in the day for this, so from now on, I cannot guarantee a comment from me if you have word verification. I will try ONCE, and ONCE ONLY to unscramble that mess and if I fail, well, too bad. If you're that worried about your comments or some mythical robots, please enable comment moderation but Please, please, PLEASE be a friend and turn that crap OFF! (Obviously someone has gotten up on the wrong side of the bed, but even when I'm in a GOOD mood I swear under my breath when I have to type a word in) We all LOVE comments and I LOVE telling you how much I appreciate and admire your work. Don't force me to stop.

To turn off WV go to the Settings tab at the top and click on it. There is a bar underneath that starts with Basic, Publishing, etc. then Comments. Click on that and scroll down almost to the end and click NO under "Show word verification for comments". Above that is Comment moderation, if you find that necessary, click Always (or whatever) and THAT'S IT! Thanks so much!

Macabre Monday In the Garden of Good or Evil

Happy Monday! Our new challenge this week at Haunted Design House takes us to the garden where good, or evil (or both) lurk. I needed bother to tell you which we prefer, do I? So show us what inhabits the garden of your imagination, the battle between good and evil. I must say that I'm so behind in my gardening that this is pretty much what my backyard looks like at the moment...scary! I borrowed the fab scene from Dark Wallpapers. I pretty much think all garden gnomes are scary, but this dude from Midnight in the Garden of Evil looks particulary menacing.

He's pretty good at wielding that garden tool, don'tcha think? The fabby bat is from Smeared Ink.

I printed him out 3 times and fussy cut and popped him for dimension. the border punch is MS. the Minions had a ball with this one so be sure to stop by HDH for more inspiration, and don't forget Wretched Wednesday when Creepy Glo posts and challenge winners are announced.

I'm also entering it in the February In the Garden Challenge at Sir Stampalot and the Smudgey Antics Wicked with Wings Challenge.

Dilly Beans Seeing Red

Well, I'm finally back in business after our relaxing spa visit. The new challenge at The Dilly Beans Designers and Challenge Blog is Seeing Red. It's no secret that red is my FAVORITE color, but this also posed a bit of a problem as many of my Copic reds are running pretty dry. I had already chosen one of Megan's new images, Frida's Roses and decided to paper piece nearly the entire design using old retired Stampin' Up DP I've had for at least 3 years. The only parts of the design that are colored are the eyes, lips and leaves, with a bit of chalk blush on her face.



I printed the image twice in white for the background and leaves, once in cream for the face, once in polka dot for the hair, and twice for the stripes and layered roses which I popped for dimension. The bolder lines on this image is quite forgiving, but the real secret to "seamless" paper piecing is to go around all of the edges of the cuts with black marker so the white cut rim doesn't show. I used the side of the brush tip of a Memento Dual Marker because it doesn't bleed into your paper like a Copic can. It was a bit time consuming but I really love how it came out. My fabulously talented sisters have lots for you to OOOh and Ahhh over so be sure to visit the Challenge Blog and play along. I am also entering this in the Desert Island Crafters Challenge #25 using 2 or more patterned papers, green (barely), and polka dots, The DYSU #59 Layers Challenge, and te Digital Tuesday Challenge #147, Use Your Stash.

BBTB2 Couples Heart

Okay, my bad. My fabulously talented DT sister Susan (and mutual MSU alum "GO SPARTANS" sis as well) chose the Couples Heart from the Lovestruck cartridge for this week's BBTB2 challenge and I didn't use it. Sorry hon! That's a pretty distinctive cut and I used it for a previous BBTB2 challenge (okay, so it was 2o10) HERE and I really didn't think I could top it. Then I got an idea, and I tried to make that couple fit, but they looked way to gussied up for the shenanigans I had in mind for them. LOL So where'd this idea come from, you ask? Well, I guess it comes from the way my Sweetheart makes me feel...so happy, so alive, so young, sooo....uh, never mind. But it brought me back to romantic evenings in one of the few places we could be...alone. I made the shaped card using the shadows from the car from Nifty 50's (No, we're not quite THAT old, but I liked the ride) and a heart from Sweethearts. Thank heaven for last week's challenge or I would never have found that cute couple. Don't they look more at home in that car?

Not a whole lot of detail here. I wanted to keep it simple for my man. I did emboss the tires, though and dig those cool headlights. They are mini bottle caps I bought from Simon Says Stamp filled with metallic hearts from J's and Glossy Accents. WooHoo! The license plate is from Sweethearts, too.

And of course, I couldn't resist a chrome bumper with adhesive beads and just a little dimension. Was planning on a secret message on the plate but I was afraid you all might decipher it. You'll have to use your imagination for the inside too, but you can bet there's mention of the back seat. LOL Now be sure to have a look at the fabulous inspiration from my teamies HERE and I can only hope you experience young love (no matter what your age) this Valentine's Day. I'm off to Sonoma Mission Inn for a couple of nights of pure pampering so I may be off the radar.

Macabre Monday Love Lies Bleeding

Happy day before VD. We're still in the LOVE mode at HDH and this week the theme is Love Lies Bleeding. Let me be the first to say this wasn't my original idea but I sooo adore these Alice in Zombieland stamps from Spesch Designer Stamps and I've been DYING to use them, sooo... This one in particular reminds me of the first time David took me home to meet his folks. Sat down to dinner and his Mom said "I hope you like rabbit." HUH? Well, fortunately she'd Shake and Baked it and it honestly DID taste like chicken, but... Unfortunately, the next day she had my future hubby go wring the necks of a few others and skin and butcher them right in the back yard. Ummm...

So here's a close up of Alice holding the head of the White Rabbit. She's colored with Copics in Valentine colors and I've added a butchered bunny body drawn by me. (I know, don't quit my day job...oh, that's right, I don't HAVE a day job! LOL) The fab DCWV Madly in Love DP was still lying on my desk from a previous project. Added a bit of blood spatter from the Inky Dreams (retired) set from Smeared Ink as well. The gorgeous Heart Doily is a die from The Scrapping Cottage.

So where's the love? Inside, of course. The sentiment is a dollar stamp from M's on a background of bunny massacre from more of the Inky Dreams (retired) set from Smeared Ink. The Minions have more brooding darkness than I this week so go have a look HERE. In the meantime I'm also entering this in the Stamp Scrap and Doodle Saturdays Red, White and Pink challenge , the Daring Cardmaker's Pretty Hearts and Paper Doilies Challenge, and Cute Card Thursday (Well, I think it's cute!) Pink Valentine Challenge.

Dilly Beans Love is in the Air

It's Friday and that means another fun challenge at the Dilly Beans Designers and Challenge Blog. Our theme this week is Love is in the Air. My first thought was of course Valentine's Day, but if we're lucky, love is in the air year 'round and I just couldn't resist Megan's new image Girl with Butterflies. This new digi is taken from one of Megan's original paintings and she is not the only in this fabulous new Dilly Beans release. I printed the image quite large and colored her similarly to the original painting (as you can see as an example in the store) with my Copics.

The image was printed twice so I could fussy cut the butterflies. They're popped in the center with the wings flying free and I've added pearlized hearts to their centers that I've cut off some Maya Road stick pins. There are tiny peals on their antennae and on her lashes as well. The black border of butterflies was done with my MS punch and glued just at the tips of their wings to the edge of the card. The theme of the week is spelled out in Alpha Beads. Be sure to check out the fab examples by my teamies and I have to say I've been very impressed with your challenge entries each week. Keep up the wonderful work! I'm also entering this in the Charisma Cardz Things with Wings Challenge, The Delightful Challenges Love Challenge, Crafting for all Seasons, and Simon Says Stamp (both also Love it in the Air).

Wicked Wednesday ATC Mermaid Challenge

I am sooo getting into ATC's! Just the perfect little tidbit when you have a few minutes to spare in the craft room. And although working in miniature can have it's drawbacks (in the coloring arena especially)they're just so darn CUTE when you're done. So this week's Wicked Wednesday theme is mermaids. I knew immediately I wanted to use this cutie from Dilly Beans, especially because she looks so perfect with the K&Co DP I immediately thought of when I saw the challenge. She was a bit of a challenge to fussy cut in this tiny size, but nothin' a sharp craft knife couldn't handle. You can't really see how she sparkles, either. After coloring with Copics, I went over her hair and scales with Spica pens.

She's popped above the waves and I've added sparkly acrylic bubbles. Then I punched some shells for the ocean floor with my MS border punch out of textured sand like paper and used Glossy Accents to attach some little beads and of course a pearl to the shell. Popped that too. Me likey! I'm also entering this in My Craft Place Beside the Sea Challenge, and the ATC's & Cards with Attitude Anything Goes challenge.

BBTB2 Sweetheart's Tag Challenge

Whoa! The Mondays keep rolling by and I see I'm a little late here. Sorry, I just got up which is very unusual for me. I'm gonna blame it on Jezebel this time. Although we've had her for 4 years, she's still really a skittish wild little beast. Although she craves our love and affection and purrs around our ankles, try and pick her up and she screams bloody murder and goes into a fit of gyrations. She has started to become a "Daddy's Girl", though and even will climb up on his lap all by herself and stay there (as long as there are no sudden movements). I'm happy for that, but a little jealous, I must say. Mommy is only popular when she's eating tuna. LOL The last week or so though she's been jumping on the bed after I'm asleep and curling up on my legs. If I wake up, I'm so happy for her contact that I don't dare move and disturb her or she'll bail, but that means I'm lying there paralyzed for hours which needless to say, disturbs my sleep. She gets up when Daddy does, which is usually around 4:30 and I can finally stretch out and catch a few more winks. Well...more than a few today. Is anybody's else's pet so spoiled? Come on, fess up.

Well, now my post is even later, but I'm obviously feeling chatty. LOL Our sweet sister Shelly chose the BBTB2 challenge this week which is any tag from the Sweethearts cartridge (or any tag if you don't have that one). I actually played it pretty straight this time with no bells and whistles. I took the Heart Tag on pag 74 and hid the contours of the cupid and box tags in DS to get just the cut outs. The cupid cut out was the shadow version. I must have cut this stuff a bazillion times trying to decide on a color scheme because I knew I wanted to use the Cuttlebug Conversation Hearts embossing folder and these cute little stickers from M's I got a few years ago. I tried all the candy colors like the green, pink, purple and yellow but it just looked odd. Then I didn't think the totally white embossing had enough pizazz at first so I tried inking the folder with distress inks. Eiyiyi! What a mess! I'll spare you the pic of that one.

I finally decided a traditional Valentine color scheme was the way to go. I cut the regular cupid in pink and embossed him with Swiss Dots, along with the heart at the top. BTW. I had to cut the heart hanger off the white version in order for the tag to fit in the 5x7 embossing folder. Yeah, this is a BIG tag! Not much dimension. Just the cupid and the punched heart I stuck on the top for balance, but there ya go. The DT has a fabulous variety of tags for your viewing pleasure so please stop by BBTB2 and have a look. And, of course, we LOVE it when you play along. Remember, you have 2 weeks to complete the challenge with a NEW project. Please be sure to mention BBTB2 and link back to the challenge blog and link up your PROJECT POST, not just your blog to Mr Linky so we can come ooooh and ahhh. I'm also entering this in the Hiding in my Craft Room Pink, Red, and White Color Challenge.

Macabre Monday Freaker's Free For All!

Huh, you say? That's the Minion's term for "Anything Goes" (within the spirit of Haunted Design House, of course.) You know, sometimes that's even harder for me. I printed about a gazillion images and had the hardest time deciding what to use. I've been a bit ADD and the thought of coloring became a bit overwhelming today so I went the CAS route (so unusual for me) but LOVE how it turned out. I took our own Teri's Gothic Heart image from Delicious Doodles and sized it to fit the Love Hurts heart from the Tiddly Inks Basement that I'd printed in red. The sentiment is computer generated, the background embossing is the Tim Holtz Poison label and I've used MS border punches for the graveyard and drippy goo.

Gothic heart was printed twice and fussy cut around the skull and then just the top half and popped for dimension atop the TI heart which was also popped. Cool, no coloring, just 4 square gems for the corners and that was it. Now aren't ya just dying to bring out your dark side? Hey, with no parameters...Woohoo! If you need more inspiration, go take a look at Haunted Design House and don't forget our Wretched Wednesday when the slackers (OOPS! I mean Glo and whomever else screwed around this weekend instead of completing their DT commitments) post their projects. They're always FAB with all that extra time they have and all. LOL Just teasing, guys. xx I'm also entering this in the Cardmadfairy's Digi Days Hearts Challenge, the Corrosive Challenge Love Bites, Sentimental Sundays Feel the Love Challenge, and of course, Delicious Doodles All Loved Up Challenge.

The Altered Alice Week One - Hearts

"First came ten soldiers carrying clubs; these were all shaped like the three gardeners, oblong and flat, with their hands and feet at the corners: next the ten courtiers; these were ornamented all over with diamonds, and walked two and two, as the soldiers did. After these came the royal children; there were ten of them, and the little dears came jumping merrily along hand in hand, in couples: they were all ornamented with hearts. Next came the guests, mostly Kings and Queens, and among them Alice recognised the White Rabbit: it was talking in a hurried nervous manner, smiling at everything that was said, and went by without noticing her. Then followed the Knave of Hearts, carrying the King's crown on a crimson velvet cushion; and, last of all this grand procession, came THE KING AND QUEEN OF HEARTS." -- Chapter 8; Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Since February contains Valentine's Day, we at The Altered Alice are challenging you to show us your HEART (or hearts), in whatever form you'd like to interpret that! I have made a Queen of Hearts Treat Box using one of my FAVE Alice images from our sponsor this month, The Octopode Factory, who is offering a $30 Etsy shop gift certificate to one randomly selected winner.

Not only does Lily have tons of fabulous Alice in Wonderland images, but cute and quirky designs for everyone, including rubber stamps and collage sheets for all of your crafting needs. Be sure to visit her personal Blog HERE as well as The Octopode Factory Friday Challenges (TOFF) for tons of inspiration.

My treat box was made by cutting the Wedding Dress box from the Tie the Knot Cricut cart at 11 1/4" and prining the Queen several times in white and once in red, coloring her with Copics and fussy cutting and gluing the images on either side of the front of the box. On the back I added some heart and foil doilies. The inside box is large enough to hold a few yummy truffles.
The back and front fold up to complete the box and are held together near her neck by a removeable glue dot, although I may add velcro or a small magnet instead for a more permanent closure.

I've added popped layers to her crown, eyes and sections of her gown and a lock and key (to Wonderland ;D) as well as fab dangle earrings.

The sentiment is done with Alpha stickers atop hearts cut from her dress as well as several MS heart punches. Get out your readers if you want to see this one, ladies. It's a message to my Sweetie. LOL
Remember, each week we have new inspriation at The Altered Alice so check back each Sunday and be amazed! This is a very short month, so you have only until Friday, Feb. 24 to submit your entry! As always, projects that feature Wonderland will have two chances at the prize instead of one. Multiple entries are fine, but each must be on a separate post. Please join us!

I'm also thrilled that the current Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge is Kings and Queens so of course I'm entering it there. And Whimsical Wednesdays is Bring Out the Old. The Sweethearts Cricut cartridge is several years old, and the doilies have been around since dinosaurs roamed the earth so there ya go. The Artistic Stamper Creative Team is also asking for hearts and so is The Sunday Stamper Challenge on Hels' Blog. WooHoo!

Dilly Beans and Blog Hop Winner!

TGIF, ya'll! That means it's another fun challenge at The Dilly Beans Designers and Challenge Blog AND the winner of the BBTB2 Blog Hop, (but you're gonna have to wait for that. I know, such a tease.) Care to guess the theme? It's Zombie Love! WooHoo! Megan's got the cutest collection of Zombies on the planet. Sooo many to choose from, but I've been DYING to use Megan's #242 Dunce Cap Zombie with Heart (flipped so she could face) #232 Dunce Cap Skellie.

Perhaps not the sharpest knives in the drawer (JK) but a match made in heaven, don'tcha think? I wonder if that's why Zombies all crave brains. Just look at them gazing lovingly at each other through those rose colored lenses. MFEO, that's really all they need to know. I've used my craft knife to cut away the background of the framed Zombie so more of the cute DP from the DCWV Madly in Love stack would show through. The computer generated song lyrics have been drifting through my mind lately.

Whenever I'm using digis I always print each image several times. Who know if I might want to layer and pop (or just plain screw up my coloring) and if I end up having extras, well, I can use them on another project so here's the dimensiional view. The busy DP didn't need much embellishing. Just an MS heart border and some pearls. My DT sisters have loads more sweet examples so be sure to check them out HERE and you know how much we love it when you play along.

Now my dear and fabulously talented DT Sister Arielle also reminded me that this (almost) fits this week's ColourQ challenge. Where's the kraft? Well, my Skellie and Zombie are actually shaded with Copic Warm Greys (very light ones so the pic isn't really picking them up) which to me translates to "kraft" so there ya go.

So FINALLY I'm getting around to the winner of the BBTB2 Blog Hop. thanks to all for your sweet comments. The winner of the With Love Card Making Combo is dadadada da DA!

#3 Maureen Reiss who wrote:

Congratulations, Maureen! Please email me at dlmundinger(at)yahoo(dot)com with your snail mail addy and I'll do my best to get this out to you by VD. Thanks to all of you for your participation.