HUGE Blogiversary Candy over at Taylord Concepts

Since I'm sick and haven't creating anything the past few days, I decided to share an awesome blog with you! Erika over at Taylord Concepts is a very talented and creative artist who I "met " through the Bombshell Stamps Design Team (she was Ms December and featured on our last hop!) and I am now getting to know her better over on the S&S forum. I've had the priveledge of looking around her blog and seeing some of her photo uploads on the forum and all I can say is WOW! Talent abounds from her!

She definitely has a style that meshes well with Smeared and Smudged, so I urge you if you like this style of stamping, give her a little visit! Today Erika posted a huge blog-iversary blog candy that you should take a look at, but don't forget to visit her other posts as well... it's well worth taking the time to have a looksie!

31 Days Blog Candy Winner!!!!

The results are in! I just have to say WOW!!!!!!!!!!! Between the two of us, Kelli and I had 561 entries for blog candy! That is truly amazing, and I just want to thank each and every one of you for participating and making 31 Days of Halloween such a fun and successful experience for everyone!

I know I had a wonderful time sharing projects with you all. This was the first year that I've done anything like this, and I learned a few things that I can improve on for next year. It was exhausting and thrilling at the same time, and I hope you all got some inspiration from the projects here on Smeared and Smudged, and from Cajun Stamping Queen. I truly love stamping and sharing!

So lets get to it... the winner of the hugely awesome blog candy prize is.....

We chose our winner using Random.org's random number generator, which came up as number 240. And that's you, Char! Please email both me and Kelli with your address and we will get your prize out to you!

Thank you again to all who participated! If you loved the projects that you saw during 31 Days, I'd like to invite you to join the Smeared and Smudged ning group. The group is growing and has some very cool people participating. I am slowly but surely incorporating some very neat challenges, swaps, and groups; and it's a great place to just chat and network with other stampers who enjoy alternative stamping!

For now, I look forward to sharing more with you in the coming weeks, and hope you enjoyed your Halloween! This week join me on Wednesday for the Bombshell Hump Day Hop, and I'll probably be throwing in a couple of other projects here and there... can't stay away from stamping too long!

Prickley Pear Blog Candy Info

I've received a huge rush order for some cards, so I will not be able to post my Halloween project for today until later this evening. But to make up for the wait, I'm directing you to some awesome Prickley Pear blog candy!

Visit Jenny Gropp on her BLOG today and comment on her blog candy post (about three posts down.) She'll be drawing at 8 pm tonight, so hurry! Don't miss your chance to win some fabulous stamps and transparency sheets from Prickley Pear!!!

I will catch you all later today with my 11th day project!

Pleased to Meet You...Hope You Guessed My Name

Happy World Card Making Day!!
In honor of this cardmaking holiday, the Design Team at Bombshell Stamps has brought you a very special blog hop! Don't know what World Card Making Day is? Well,straight from the WCMD website, " It is a day to connect with fellow card makers both near and far, to applaud the creativity that powers the craft, and to provide an opportunity for card makers to connect and find resources that will empower, inspire, and encourage them in their card making. Celebrate the creativity of handmade cards and the personal connection that they create between friends and family."

The Bombshell Hotties have chosen to bring you holiday/travel themed cards to kick off the holiday card making season, so join in on the fun! Once you've viewed my card, use the links at the bottom of this post to hop over to the other participating Bombshell Stamps DT members and take a look at theirs.

In keeping with my 31 Days of Halloween here on Smeared and Smudged, I've opted to share with you a Halloween themed card. It features a stamp from the Bombshell "Cherry Bomb" set which, in my opinion, is PERFECT for Halloween! Have you guessed his name?


*click pic for larger view*

To make my red devil come to life, I made a toilet paper mold. I know, it sounds kinda funny, but if you've never done it you have to try it! It's really simple and produces a very neat embellishment. Lay your stamp face up and tear off about 10 squares of white toilet paper. Spray your first sheet with water and lay it over your stamp. Wet it some more, and then use a paintbrush to gently push the paper down into the grooves of the stamp image.

Repeat with each sheet of paper and be sure to press out all the air bubbles as you go. When you're done, take a paper towel and press it over the top with all your might! This will ensure that you have a good solid image mold, and take away some of the excess water. Let it sit a few minutes before you gently peel the mold off your stamp. Use watercolors or reinkers to add color to the front of your mold, or leave it white. You can also tear the edges away, but be very careful. Then just let it sit and dry (or if you're impatient like me, set in a 200 degree oven on a cookie sheet until it dries out, be careful not to burn it!).



The spider web stamp I used is from the Bombshell set "Tattoo Backgrounds", and I embossed this in black onto a transparency sheet. The creepy word was printed from my computer. I used acrylic paint on my black card base, and then I just pieced my card together with the embellishments!

I hope you enjoy making your toilet paper molds as much as I did, and I'd be thrilled to see them if you want to share in a comment.

Now I have a very special giveaway to tell you about. I know that even with the best intentions, not everyone gets to make their own cards. So I'd like to offer an assortment of cards that one person can use to connect with their loved ones. Receiving a handmade card can be a wonderful experience, and I'd be honored to help one of you share the love! Here are the cards in the assortment:

To enter into the drawing, leave a comment on this post with your name and email(or website, some way I can contact you!) and you could be the big winner! I'll be drawing tomorrow morning. Now, visit the other Bombshell ladies! If you're really looking for a treat, visit the Bombshell Stamps website for awesome stamps, a super cool forum, and a rockin' gallery. And happy card making!


Jacquie

Glittery Katie

Kas

Kathi

Nicole

Sarah K

Shannon

31 Days of Halloween Has Begun!

Welcome Frightful Fiends and Scary Ghoulies to

31 Days of Halloween!
This is a month long tribute to Halloween and Day of the Dead sponsored by Smeared and Smudged and Cajun Stamping Queen. Every day in October we will both be featuring a seriously scary, creepy, or haunting project for you to view.

To get the spooky schedule of events, please read my sidebar where you'll find all the information about challenges, projects, and the HUGE BLOG CANDY worth well over $150 that we will be giving away to one lucky follower at the end of the month!

Since today is Thursday, we have coordinated our projects and offer you a themed challenge. Our cards today are based around skulls, and your challenge is to share your own skull based project by linking it to a comment at the end of this post! Easy peasy...

Here's my skull themed card:

*click for close up view*


I challenged myself to make a Halloween card without using black! This was a little difficult for me since black is my favorite neutral to use, but I think it turned out pretty good. The card features a skull and crossbones image from Prickley Pear that I embossed onto my vellum and colored with prismacolor pencils.

The vellum was hand colored, and the embellishments include handmade sculpture paper, brads, eyelets, and dark brown raffia ribbon.

If you'd like to participate in the challenge, link to your finished skull project in a comment below this post. And don't forget, any comment will get you Blog Candy points! See you tomorrow!

Blog Candy Details-31 Days of Halloween

Here are pics and descriptions of the awesome blog candy that Kelli and I are drawing for at the end of the month. This candy is valued at well over $150. To be entered for blog candy, follow the instructions found in either of our sidebars. We'll be drawing on November 1st. Good luck!


*click pics for larger views*


Items Included in Candy Are:

*Heidi Satlerberg stamp "A child is born" from Stamps Happen Inc.
*Special Moments Scrapbook Stickers : Dragonflies and Flowers / Butterflies and Flowers
*Me & My Big Ideas : Soft Spoken Embellishment stickers/ family memories and fall
*Miss Elizabeth's Scrapbook Embellishment stickers: Nature, Birthday, white flowers
*Paperbilities 3-d Embellishment Adhesive Accents: Baby Animals
*Recollections Dimensional Stickers: Friends, Happy Birthday, Family Vacation
*12 x 12 Do it Yourself Calendar
*Halloween Stickers
*Colorbok: Journaling Tags, Paper Pad, Chipboard book(5pages)
*Studio G Clear Stamps: Party
*Studio 18: Epoxy stickers(black and white(2)), Rhinestones(pink), Self Stick Note Pads (Christmas 2pk.)
*Bead Party: Angel Charms'
*K&Company Happy Trails Grand Adhesions
*3 fall color wine bags( great for embossing)
*Various Ribbon (8 spools)
*Blue Fiber
*Binder Clips
*Crochet Flowers
*Chipboard Accents
*6 sheets of 12 x 12 Decorative Paper: 4 from Scribble Scrabble, 1 from Bella Blvd, 1 from Scrap Within Reach
* Studio G Mini Pigment Ink stamp pads- burgundy and white
*Strathmore Acrylic Linen Canvas ATC pack of 10
*Studio 18: 12 Notecards and Envelopes, Coupon Holder, and Paper Coasters 6 pack
*Jewelry Essentials Stringing 20 Gauge silver colored copper wire
*3 Packs Premium Inkjet Photo Paper 4"x6"
*Colorbok Rub On Sentiments-Love
*Colorbok Ahesive Metal Words
*Antique Silver Flourish Charms
*5 oz. bag of Ultra Fine Micro Beads from Pennywise Arts
*Miss Elizabeth's Embossed Metal Embellishments-Diva
*Stampin' Up! two corner stamps
*Stampin' Up! Retired Sale-a-bration Set- Congratulations (unmounted)
*Fiskars Vintage Farmhouse Clear Stamp set

Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth... BLOG CAN-DEE!!!!!!!!!!

Too early for Christmas? I think not! Ok, here's how you win this fabulous Christmas themed Candy:



Step 1: Follow My Blog (If you're already a follower, you're ahead of the game )



Step 2: Comment on one of my Project Posts. The post that you comment on has to be about one of my projects and cannot be one of the featured artist posts. Basically, I want to know what you think of my projects, what you like/dislike about it, etc. Use the link at the bottom of each page to see older posts, too.



Step 3: Vote in my sidebar poll. I want to make Smeared and Smudged as interactive as I can, so I need your input! I'd love to hear what you think.



After you complete these three steps, you'll be entered into my drawing for the candy.



Optional: Submit to be a featured artist before Sept 1 and I'll give you 10 extra entries! See the sidebar for info.



Optional: Link to Smeared and Smudged from your blog using the button below and send me the page in a comment, you'll get 5 extra entries.

<a href="http://www.moresmearedink.blogspot.com" target="new"> <img src="http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk28/imstillbigred/whitebg.jpg"></a>



Hurry ,hurry, I'll draw for candy on Sept 1! Here are some more pics and descriptions of the CAN-DEE!

Seven spools of American Craft ribbon

Build-a-Snowman stencil templates

1 pack of metal flowers, 1 pack layered flowers, and 1 pack of 10 red long envelopes

6 small sheets of glitter reindeer paper

2 Stampin' Up! christmas stamps, snowmen and stocking tag

Huge stack of glittery die-cut presents. These are already cut, just need to be popped out. You can see one popped out below the stack.

Two unopened Stampin' Up! ink pads, Bravo Burgundy and Wild Wasabi

2-12x12 sheets of glittery frolicking reindeer paper, 2 small sheets of red star glittery paper