black & white ATC swap

My creation for the May ATC swap over on smeared and smudged. All supplies are CTMH. You can't really tell in the pic, but the dragon fly is cut out and the wings are popped off the card slightly, I also poked holes in the little white spots around each wing. Simple but fun :)

Smeared and Smudged Blog Hop - June

Hello Friends! It's time for another blog hop over at Smeared and Smudged. If you love to create art that's out-of-the-norm then smeared and smudged is the place for you. I've included the link to our friendly little group at the end of blog hop list, so check out all these wonderful creations we all want to share with you and then hop on over to our group and sign up to join in on all the fun.

For my contribution to the hop I've used a stamp from the Elementals set, the Earth Goddess. This is from Terra's stamp line Smeared Ink. I stamped in olive and used various shades of green to color her in. The picture really doesn't do this card justice. I also sponged some pick along with the green on the outer edge of the card to help tie in the pick flowers I wanted to add in her hair. I also added some liquid glass to her hair to give it more dimension... again you can't really see that here, but trust me :)

Now start hopping!!

Terra: http://moresmearedink.blogspot.com/

Kelli: http://cajunstampingqueen.blogspot.com/

Steph: http://stephscreativechaos.blogspot.com/ (you are here)

Ladybrayton71 http://ladybrayton71.blogspot.com/

Lisa: http://ldfdesign.blogspot.com/

Jean: http://etsysdarkside.ning.com/

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

Alison : http://alisonsrandomthoughts.blogspot.com/

Sarah: http://sarahscrazycreations.blogspot.com/

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

Blackdragon: http://lynsblogger.blogspot.com/

Kim: http://offthewallcraftiness.blogspot.com/

Monica: http://www.giddygreetings.com/

Tink: http://tinktime-tink.blogspot.com/

http://smearedandsmudged.ning.com/

be happy ~ create art

new stamps

I've been playing with my new stamps!! I want to increase my rolodex collection so the first one is on a rolodex card. These are the perfect size for creating "little art". Second is a bookmark for a challenge over on Any Stamp Will Do. I just need to figure out how to size it smaller to post it over there... help! Both images are from www.stampotique.com under the Daniel Torrente collection. He's got some fantabulous creepy peeps, you gotta check them out!

~be happy ~ create art

May Sketch Challenge

This was my entry for the May sketch over on smeared and smudged. I used my new stamp from stampotique.com Her name is Glimmering Hope. Started off by coloring her with metallic pencils but didn't really get the effect I wanted so dug up some gel pens to add more pop. Created the skull background with skull stamp from Prickly Pear. Got those crows at convention last February. Can't remember who they are from but the name on them is New Crows Black. Rounghed up the edges with my distressor from CTMH and did some direct to paper smearing with my grey wool ink pad.

~be happy ~create art

Honor our Soldiers

Freedom Is Not Free
I watched the flag pass by one day.
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Marine saluted it,and then he stood at ease.
I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
He'd stand out in any crowd.
I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?
How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of TAPS one night,
When everything was still
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times
That TAPS had meant "Amen,
"When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend.
I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, freedom isn't free.
-Kelly Strong

God Bless our Troops!

Here's a couple cards I made last week. Going through a "green" phase :)

CTMH news

Just a quick note to let you know that the CTMH summer idea book was released in May. You can go to my website to view it online or contact me so I can get a copy to you.

Also on my website you should take a peek at Studio J. This is digital scrapbooking with awesome CTMH products. Check it out, you'll love it!

Only a few more days left to take advantage of our May promo - Miracle Kit.

Don't forget the May stamp of the month, you can earn it FREE ~ ask me how

:)

be happy ~ create art

paper flowers

I've been stamping but not posting so I'm going to try and play catch up the next couple of days :) Both cards use CTMH papers, CS and flowers. The top card uses a new set I just got from Skipping Stones Designs and I used their sketch from My 11th. For the bottom card I used Celebrate from CTMH. Gotta love those paper flowers too! For the super big one I used a pink flower and just added more shades of pink, but the 2 smaller flowers started out as white... so cool to ink them up to match whatever color you need. :)

be happy ~ create art

altered rolodex card

I was in an ATC swap with the requirement that you had to use paint. Well of course I mailed them all off without taking a picture, but the painting was so much fun I decided to make a rolodex card with a similar design to my ATC. I painted the card first with turquoise and then added the metallic bronze. After it was dried I stamped it all up :) I've been collecting unmounted stamps for quiet some time so I dont know where most of the ones I used are from The wings are from CTMH and the small alien head between the wings is from Meer Image. (I'll post my ATC when I get them back)

sketch challenge

Just finished my card for the April sketch challenge over at smeared & smudged. A little bit sassy and straight to the point :) So glad I found that group!!!

another surprise

Here's another "oldie" from my stash, it's a pin made from a recycled cd... you know the one we used to get in the mail all the time. I always get lots of compliments on it and people are surprised to find out it's on a cd. I'm hoping to recreate a few this long holiday weekend. I probably have enough of those cd's to build a house with. Would love to know what you have created with your old cd's. :)

Smeared and Smudged April Blog Hop

Thank you for visiting! My computer crashed last night before I had time to post my hop card so I'm a little late, but hey better late than never! Felt like such a flake when I couldn't get my card up on time...sigh... hope you find it was worth the wait :) The theme was something surprising... so I surfed youtube and found a couple tutorials on a surprise pop-up card.... way fun, i'll be making more of these :)

Time for another exciting blog hop on smeared and smudged. If you haven't checked out the ning site yet you have to get over there. If you like creating art out of the norm this is the place for you! Alternative, gothic, vintage ... there's a little bit of everything over there. Hope to see you there!

Now go check out all these awesome blogs, these ladies are AMAZING!!!

Alison- http://alisonsrandomthoughts.blogspot.com

Kelli- http://cajunstampingqueen.blogspot.com

Meredith- http://www.papercanteen.com

Michelle- http://mylifemydreamsmyscrapping.blogspot.com/

Kathi- http://kathstales.blogspot.com

Kim- http://offthewallcraftiness.blogspot.com

Lisa- http://www.ldfdesign.blogspot.com

Danielle- http://www.scrappy-arts-n-thoughts.blogspot.com

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

Jean- http://iboard.jeansartdolls.com/index.php?showtopic=11977

Monica- http://giddygreetings.com

Sarah- http://sarahscrazycreations.blogspot.com

Erica- http://www.inkedupandreadytoplay.com/

Black Dragon- http://lynsblogger.blogspot.com/

Kymberly- http://dulcamarasdarkart.blogspot.com

Steph- http://stephscreativechaos.blogspot.com

Lady Brayton- http://ladybrayton71.blogspot.com/

Barb- http://haunteddesignhouse.blogspot.com/

Terra- http://www.moresmearedink.blogspot.com

spring time

Here's a couple of "oldies" from my card stash.

Smeared and Smudged Blog Hop

Welcome to my blog. I'm so excited to be a part of First EVER Smeared and Smudged blog hop. Smeared and Smudged is a growing online community where we all share the love of creating art. You’ll find cards, scrapbook pages, ATC’s, journals, altered projects and more using alternative, vintage and gothic art rubber stamping. Take a peek at all the amazing art created by other members and then come on over to Smeared and Smudged to join in on the fun.

Meredith http://www.papercanteen.com/
Kathi http://kathstales.blogspot.com/
Kim http://www.offthewallcraftiness.blogspot.com/
Alex http://paperandstring.blogspot.com/
Kelli http://www.cajunstampingqueen.blogspot.com/
Monica http://www.giddygreetings.com/
Alison http://www.alisonsrandomthoughts.blogspot.com/
Amberlee http://supermomscrappin.blogspot.com/
Black Dragon http://lynsblogger.blogspot.com/
Steph http://stephscreativechaos.blogspot.com/
Kymberly http://missannesvintageart.blogspot.com/
Kymberly http://dulcamarasdarkart.blogspot.com/
Kymberly http://vaerieenchantedfaeries.blogspot.com/
Keely http://www.keelyy.blogspot.com/
Lisa http://ldfdesign.blogspot.com/
Lynda http://cre8tiveme.blogspot.com/
Sarah http://www.sarahscrazycreations.blogspot.com/
Jean http://daretobedifferentchallenges.blogspot.com/
Terra http://www.moresmearedink.blogspot.com/
Kas http://www.artloveschaos.blogspot.com/

http://smearedandsmudged.ning.com/

I used my favorite Gorjuss Girl stamp, colored pencils and CTMH papers for my blog hop entry. Take a look at my other creations and if you like what you see sign up to follow my blog. I welcome all comments and would love to visit your blog or website if you have one. I look forward to seeing you over on Smeared and Smudged as well.

Happy Creating!
~steph

fairy card

I created this card for the February sketch challenge over on Smeared & Smudged. The stamp is from Prickley Pear and the papers, inks and dandylion stamp are from CTMH. I also used a gel pen and prisma glitter on the wings.

matching cards

Had to whip out some cards really fast so chose the paper and basic layout and just added different stamps :)

a must-read

I just finished this book tonight and I'm ready to read it again. One of the girls at work was reading this and was telling me about the story. I got chills just hearing about it, now after reading it I've still got the chills. It's an amazing book. I can't even begin to put into words how it touched me...
http://theshackbook.com/

puzzle swap

Here are the puzzle pieces I created for a swap I was in over on Scrapbooking and Crafting Friends. The hostess Auntie Em sent out blank puzzle to everyone with a list of everyone else's themes and we had to decorate a piece for each person. Way fun!!

masculine cards

I've had lots of birthdays in my family this past month. Here are a few of cards I made. I figure they also go with a western theme since it's rodeo time out here in the wild west. All stamps and papers are from CTMH.

Happy Valentine's Day

I hope everyone had a fabulous Valentine's Day with the people you love. Here is the heart card I gave to my lil' valentine :) Got the idea from Alison who is on the design team over at Smeared and Smudged. She created a great card using the template she found over at cheekymagpie.com. I knew my son would get a kick out of an actual heart card. The second is a more traditional valentine from the ATC swap over at scraping and crafting friends. The third pic are some beautiful pink flamingos we saw over at the zoo today. It was a gorgeous day to be outside. There is a new baby zebra at the zoo, but he was a little camera shy. I'll post some more zoo pics tomorrow along with some other cards I've done the past week or two.

:)

snow in AZ

Here's what last weeks storm left us. So pretty, but glad it's up there on the mountains and not down here in the city :)

b-day gift

Made this for a gf at work. It's one of those mini pocket calendars you can find anywhere. I just added my own cover :)

jingle bells

OK, so this was the extent of my holiday creativity.... yep all I did was tie bows on some bells. They did turn out pretty cute, but I was hoping to get a lot more done. Fortunately had some card kits on hand to whip up some holiday cards for the girls at work. I still want to get a few cards made and sent out this week, that's allowed right? Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas :)

b-day card

I used the CTMH card kit from last month, but substituted with skull stamp for one of my friends who's weird like me :)

atc swap

A little late in posting, but these are a sample of the atc's I created for a swap.

new copics!!!

I got some new copics!! woo hoo Thanks Mom!! I played a little bit today using one of my new stamps from CTMH and the pumpkin is also CTMH but a retired set. I'm trying to figure out what images I want to use for an ATC Halloween theme swap I'm in. My pic here doesn't do the copics justice. They are so bright and juicy!!!! I'll be needing some more ASAP :)

thank you cards

Here's some cards I've made for the first 2 months of the card swap group 4 over on SCF. Somehow I can never seem to get them mailed out on time tho....sigh. I'm going to start next months now so maybe I can get them out in a timely manner.

CTMH Autumn/Winter Idea Book

The latest and greatest idea books has been realeased and there are so many fabulous new stamp sets, papers and embellishments! You can view the book online at my website http://www.steph.myctmh.com click on the products link on the left hand side and then click on the cover of the idea book.