Smeared and Smudged: More From Smeared Ink is the Smeared Ink sister blog dedicated to focusing on alternative art styling and unique ways to use rubber stamps. Whether you're an altered artist, cardmaker, scrapbooker, or other crafter that uses stamps in unique and interesting designs, you are welcome here!
Monday, October 31, 2011
31 Days of Halloween: Day 31
Sunday, October 30, 2011
31 Days of Halloween: Day 30
Saturday, October 29, 2011
31 Days of Halloween: Day 29
Today Graphicat Designs will offer the winner a choice of a $10 Gift Certificate to the store, or their choice of 5 digi images. Be on the lookout for the Graphicat hidden image and the Rick St Dennis hidden image. When you spot them, email us and let us know where they are to be entered. Have fun hopping today!
Friday, October 28, 2011
31 Days of Halloween: Day 28
Thursday, October 27, 2011
31 Days of Halloween Day 27- Insane Scrapbook
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
31 Days of Halloween: Day 26- Skimpy Costume
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
31 Days of Halloween: Day 25
Monday, October 24, 2011
31 Days of Halloween: Day 24
Sunday, October 23, 2011
31 Days of Halloween: Day 23
Saturday, October 22, 2011
31 Days of Halloween: Day 22
Friday, October 21, 2011
31 Days of Halloween: Day 21
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
31 Days of Halloween: Day 19
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
31 Days of Halloween: Day 18
Monday, October 17, 2011
31 Days of Halloween: Day 17
Sunday, October 16, 2011
31 Days of Halloween: Day 16- Spooky Witch Canvas
Once again, we are being sponsored by the fabulous Graphicat Designs!
Have you had the chance to swing by their new shop website? They are now offering rubber stamps, and I just LOVE their snarky sayings! They go perfectly with so many of our Smeared Ink stamps. Today Graphicat Designs will offer the winner a choice of a $10 Gift Certificate to the store, or their choice of 5 digi images. Be on the lookout for the Graphicat hidden image and the Rick St Dennis hidden image. When you spot them, email us and let us know to be entered.
As far as sponsor winners go, I will be updating winners later today and catching up on claim emails. If you are listed above and have not yet done it, please email us so we can pass on the info on how to claim your prize!
Okay, now that I've given you all the great sponsor info, let's move on to my project! It is an 11x14 canvas and it's pretty "Spooky".
*click for larger views
Once again, my canvas uses tons of different materials to make the background. There are too many for me to remember, but some of them include paint, papers, pattern paper, book pages, different homemade masks and texturizers, paint spray, mod podge, crepe paper, stamps, charcoal, pastels, & pens. I can, however, tell you that I used various stamps from our Urban Decay and Quoth The Raven stamp sets.
I started with the background, and then moved onto my witch. I just love how she came out, as this is the first one of these girls that I have made!
I recently took a workshop that taught how to make these girls, of course in a much cuter style, but I have so many ideas for changing them to suit me and I plan on making tons more of these canvases. So, what do you think? I think this will be the first that I will be selling and I'd love to hear your opinions.
Okay, now that you've seen my project, it's time for you to hop through the Wicked Blogs. Have fun today, and I'll see you tomorrow!
Saturday, October 15, 2011
31 Days of Halloween: Day 15
Today our sponsor is our very own Tori, who as you may or may know runs her own successful Scentsy business. Click the pic to visit her site.
As the pic says, Tori will be donating this very cool Fright Night Plug In Warmer to the winner of today's scavenger hunt! Isn't it super cool? I personally love these little plug in warmers. So, to qualify, visit Tori's blog (on the Wicked Blogger list) for details. Also don't forget about the Rick St Dennis hidden image.
So now the bad news, today I do not have a project to show you. Once again we had a competition yesterday and I did not get back until extremely late, which is also why my post is up late today. I know I should plan ahead, and for next weekend I definitely will, but I just didn't have the chance this time. I'm so sorry I have nothing to show you. But, on the bright side, that's one less blog to comment on as Horrifying Hoppers :)
However, I am positive you will find some amazing inspiration on the Wicked Blogs today!! And I already have an idea-a-brewin' for tomorrow's project, so please come back and visit me then.
Happy hopping!
Friday, October 14, 2011
31 Days of Halloween: Day 14- Creativity Revolution
There was a little bit of confusion about the rules for our Wicked Bloggers today, so I just want to clarify...Wicked Bloggers get an extra entry for the grand prize drawing when they use ONLY Smeared Ink stamps on their project for Smeared Ink days each Friday. We love to see what you can do with our images, and what amazing ideas you all can come up with! Of course, this is not mandatory at all and we are enjoying all of the projects presented during our 31 Days celebration! We've been visiting each and every blog every day, and although we are not commenting, please know that we are thoroughly enjoying looking at everyone's hard work and sharing in the creativity!
So, as I said, today is Smeared Ink day!
Look for our hidden image somewhere in the Wicked Blogs to be entered to win our Anatomy 101 digi set. Here is a copy of the image (no, this isn't the hidden one) as we know today it's hidden really well!
Also, don't forget to look for the hidden Rick St Dennis image to win the fabulous digi set he has offered! Email us when you find them, and you will be entered for the drawing.
Ok, for my project today I made a canvas featuring the Front Facing Skull from Anatomy 101. This is less a "Halloween" project and more an an ode to the creativity that is 31 Days of Halloween.
A while back I made a similar canvas that featured the side facing skull and a hand drawn girl, and this one kinda matches.
*click for larger views
Out of the two, I love this one more. It just seems darker to me, which I love, and is more me. As I said, it started as ablank canvas and has tons of layers on it including decorative paper, newspaper, gesso, paint, paint, more paint, more newspaper, magazine scraps, more paint, and handwriting.
In case you can't read my horrible script, the writing in the eye sockets says "Look Within to Transcend Common Thought", and the Escape writing says "Escape the Boundary of Your Own Imagination". This is something that I try to do with each and every project, especially during 31 Days, when I can.
I am debating on whether or not to keep this for my Halloween room or sell it. Like I said, I love it so much, but will also be starting to work on and sell my canvases and altered items regularly through my etsy shop, so I haven't decided yet. Either way, I would love to get your advice about some pricing. I've never sold canvases before. If you were selling this piece, how much would you charge? If you were looking at buying it, how much would you pay? It is an 11x 17. Any advice you can give would be very much appreciated!!
So before you go, I just wanted to give you an update on Ruyke the kitty. Oh yeah, someone asked how you pronounce it and what it means- you pronounce it "Ruke" with a long u, and it means dark companion. Obviously she is a darker coloring, and she has become our companion so it fit :) Anyhoo, we took her to the vet last night and other than a cold, she is in pretty good health! They gave her a shot of antibiotics for the cold. She does have a missing k-9 tooth which they think was knocked out, so that may cause problems later, but for now she's doing good. They are guestimating her age at anywhere from 7 yrs to 12 yrs old, but more in the area of 7. She got all her immunizations, including rabies, and is now ready to join our family. She has been inside since yesterday and is doing great!! She loves the kids, LOVES being pet, has devoured all the food we gave her, and only hisses at Zombie (our little chihuahua/daschound) if he gets too close. She's twice as big as him, and since she can't claw him, I don't foresee any real problems. So, looks like it will be a perfect fit! I will get more pics later on for you all.
Ok, so I hope you enjoy your hopping today and get lots of inspiration! Have fun!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
31 Days of Halloween: Day 13- Magical Cat
So now on to my project. This was a collaboration of sorts between me and my kindergartener. I used our Hallo Kitty digi single stamp, and I'll give you a little bit of the back story behind the image. There is a cat that has been hanging around outside of our house, and she seems to love us very much. I believe she is an indoor cat that just got out one day or someone jus let loose because thwey didn't want her. She is a long hair and I believe she is part Persian because she has that flat nose. She is orange and black with a little white on her belly. Well, lately it's been getting really cold here and I am thinking about letting her into the house and "adopting" her. She doesn't belong to anyone in the surrounding neighborhoods, and doesn't seem to want to go anywhere else. So, I made a vet appt for her today to go get her checked out and possibly get her groomed as she has alot of matting on her. Oh yeah, she is also declawed which is why I think she was a pet.
Anyways, she was the inspiration behind the Hallo Kitty image cause she's so scruffy looking right now. So my daughter wanted to make a card that we can print out and give to her class this year, and she helped me pick the colors and design it. Here it is:
*click for larger view
and here is a very bad pic of Ruyke the cat:
Isn't she gorgeous? I can't wait to get her all brushed and cleaned up so we can add her to our family.
So, I am off to go rest and hopefully get rid of this funk before it gets worse, but have fun hopping today! Will see you tomorrow with a better project.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
31 Days of Halloween: Day 12- Scary Shadow
Viva Las Vegas Stamps is located in fabulous Las Vegas, and they have thousands of stamps to choose from ! Be sure to visit their site to view all the fun! VLVS has generously donated a pound of rubber to the winner today, so be sure to look for their hidden image, as well as the Rick St Dennis hidden image. Email us when you find them to be entered.
Ok, so I had a couple of comment questions about some of my 31 Days projects so far that I want to address...
I will be making a tutorial on how to make the pattern paper flowers from Day 2 and I will post it sometime this month on the S&S Forum tutorial page. When I do, I will let you all know.
Also, the question came up several times asking how I stamped on the curved glass of the Raven Pedestals from Day 10. The secret is to ink up your stamp and then lay it face up on your table (my stamps are unmounted). Then take the glass, ornament, curved surface, etc, and slowly starting from one edge of the stamp, roll it over the stamp. The cool thing about doing this on clear items is that you can see exactly which part of it has stamped and which hasn't, so you can adjust pressure accordingly. If you'd like a tutorial on this as well for a visual, I can do it, but it really is very simple and only takes a little practice before you get the hang of it.
The blood splatter on my Day 7 Glam Vamps project was done digitally, I just used different PSE brushes to obtain the effect.
I think those were all the questions I have come across so far. Now to share my project for today. It is digital once again, and features our Shadow Grumpie image from Creepy Li'l Grumpies.
*click for larger view
It's pretty self explanatory. I started out with a wall background and used PSE to grunge it up a bit more than it was and skew it. I made the floor as well and skewed that to fit. I then placed my Grumpie on top, colored him up, and added my word. The final step was to add my back layer, and voila! All done! I think I may have this one printed to send to family and friends this year, I really adore the way it came out. And I just love how he's so mesmerized by that flame, he doesn't even notice his shadow is coming to eat him! Bwahahahahaha!!
Now that you've seen my piece, hop on through the Wicked Blogs and have fun getting your inspiration on for the day! Also, don't forget our new Smudgy Antics challenge has been posted, and the theme this week is Black Birds. You have until Sat at midnight to enter! Hope to see you over there :)
31 Days of Halloween: Day 11- Antique Lace As Death Garland
"Howl-o boys and mostly ghouls, hope you're having a fangtastic Rocktober! Sit around the campfire while I spin you a delightfully dreary yarn about a company I like to call...Strange Skin! This crafty creature was constructed from the decomposed (and recomposed!) body parts snatched from the local graveyard by mad scientists Jorge "The Ghoul" Garcia and Professor "Pallid" Pam Bowman. Slowly starting out as a hideous oozy mass, this pitiable pile of goo quickly hacked its way up and produced tasteless t-shirts, horrid handbags, putrid plushies, ghoulish jewelry, and finally...despicable digis! Make sure you sleep with one eye open and your covers pulled all the way up, kiddies- because this creepy company is ready to spring out of your closet and aid you in your any need to spruce up those makeshift monsters of yours ...at a price! A monetary price, that is! Let this spooky space serve as a rotten reminder that Strange Skin no longer accepts brew ingredients (fresh or dried nightcrawlers, newt, salamander or toad eyes, etc.), scalps, shrunken heads, british pounds (of flesh!), or pesos. Have a dreadful day, everyone, and an even more terrible tomorrow!"
Today when you enter by finding the hidden image, you have the chance to win three digi sets of your choice from Strange Skin! When you find it, email us and let us know where it is. ALso don't forget about your chance to win the Rick St Dennis digi set; email us the location of that hidden image as well.
Okay, I can't contain myself any longer. This project is super simple and I don't know why I love it so much, I think it's the combination of our As Death stamp set, which is one of my absolute favorites, and the awesome antique crochet lace that I've been wanting to use on a Halloween garland since I found it.
I started with some cardboard circles that I already had and covered them with a simple DP that looked distressed. Then I stamped my alternating images. That's it. I know, I know. I was thinking in my head "how dare I". But, it's exactly the look I wanted for it. Then I just framed each one with either black crepe paper & glitter glue, some of my crocheted lace, or twine. The final step was to run some twine through the backs of the circles, which conveniently already had the holes, and then hang my garland up.
*click for larger views
It is located in my entry way, and the room you see behind it will become my Halloween room, probably by this coming weekend. Transformations will start today!! So, what do you think? I hope it gives you some ideas for your own garland...even the simplest things can look amazing!!!
Have fun hopping the Wicked Bloggers today, and I'll see you tomorrow!