Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Starting the New Year with Ike's World Challenge Design Team!

First, I am so happy and excited to be back with Ike at Ike's World Challenge as a design team member again!  I always have loved her images and now having it on my list of to do's every month, I can't get caught up with other things and not play with her fabulous images!  

Secondly, I know this may not look like it fits challenge #104 What's New with You (New Year, New Stuff, etc.).  But as I was looking for an image I saw this one, the first time I had seen it and thought now Dorian Gray had his mirror and when a new year rolled around that reflection got older not gorgeous Dorian!  So my fabulously young and vibrant temptress looking over her shoulder while her reflection had grown a year older made me think. Yup me thinking always scary!  Out with the old her and in with her stunning self!  And of course a bottle of......well, let's just say it is not Revlon! and her first sip of the year she got her new year off to a roaring start!  And we all know I love Halloween so I thought we have Half-of-ween in May, might as well have a First Halloween or perhaps New Halloween year start in January!   There it is my reasoning behind this image.  I love her but I cover my mirrors up! 😁


Colored with Spectrum Noir markers and an attempt to lighten up her hair with a white and blue gel pen (dubious at best!) and then after coloring her older self I used a very light blue for the mirror and then used Golden Gloss Medium to give it a shine.  I also gave the little bit of her serum a coat of gloss along with the little bit that she hasn't wiped off her lips and her penetrating blue eyes.  I attached the image to a piece of cardstock that I keep by my acrylic painting spot and I always wipe up every bit of that yummy color and make my own papers.  Sentiment was a stressful time that I can only say these words about.  Photoshop Elements 15 and Adobe Support.  Nuff said about that!

Come play with us!  You can see my teamies really sweet and awesome interpretations of the theme.  So show us what YOUR thoughts are on the subject!  As you can see the minds work in many diverse directions on these things!





Monday, January 22, 2018

Time for the Poe Blog Hop by LeighSBDesigns Inspiration Post and to See the Last Page of the Fat Page Book!

Finally, my last page of my fat page book containing all but three of the new releases by LeighSBDesigns for the Edgar Allan Poe Appreciation Blog Hop being held at the LeighSBDesigns Inspiration Blog!  I look forward to adding more pages as more spectacular digital images by Leigh are added to the Etsy Boutique!  Here we go with the images Edgar Allan Poe Portrait and Signature!


I only colored his eyes and tie as I wanted a vintage type look for this page.  Paper from the same paper pad with a strip of really cool vinyl type lace tape along the bottom that I bought in Japan for a dollar!  I stamped R.I.P. from my Halloween stamp stash with permanent black ink and used a tiny frame found hiding in my stash.  I also stamped all edges with black Distress Ink. 

If you haven't read the background story of Poe's actual life I encourage to do so.  He is famous now but never knew but few moments of fame when he lived and suffered so many deaths of those he loved in his short 40 years of life. Really interesting things!  Also if you get a chance to watch "The Raven" with John Cusack playing Poe, go for it!  It is a fictional tale of what might have caused Poe's death which to this date has never been really solved just guessed at by even the doctor's who were there when he died!


A hint with this link to the YouTube movie trailer HERE!

Hope you are enjoying the blog hop and leaving some Poe love to all!



Page Five of the Poe Fat Page Book for the Blog Hop!

This page for me had to be added when I found a quote from Poe's poem "Alone".  It definitely described Poe and his childhood and the things that pointed him toward his art which was the invention of the detective fiction genre in America.  Of course this is being entered in the 3rd Annual Edgar Allan Poe Appreciation Blog Hop hosted by LeighSBDesigns Inspiration Blog!  And LeighSBDesigns Etsy Boutique is full of new digital stamps of Poe and all things Poe that are very unique and fab! 


The Oddleigh Raven is part of the Oddleigh Poe and Raven setThis time he stands alone atop the poem by the same name that I typed up from a web site full of Poe's quotes and memorable lines of his works.  The same paper pad and everything inked with Distress Ink and stamped with odds of stamps with red and brown inks.  The awesome lace is actually vinyl and I bought it in Japan for a dollar!  Colored him up with Spectrum Noir markers and glued it all down!

Keep on hopping and keep on leaving nice comments!  It makes blogging so much more worth it and fun for all of us!


Poe Blog Hop at LeighSBDesigns Inspiration Blog!

I think I could play with Poe makes for weeks, months, years? Yup, I could!  The 3rd Annual Edgar Allan Poe Appreciation Blog Hop is going on and today I am sharing another wonderful digital stamp by LeighSBDesigns who has tons of new Poe images that are unique and exciting and some are on sale right now!  The link up for your Poe project is at the LeighSBDesigns Inspiration Blog!





I used Oddleigh Poe from the Oddleigh Poe and Raven set. Again using paper from the 6 x 6 paper pad and inking with black Distress Ink.  I also used the image Poe Signature with Quill all found at the LeighSBDesigns Etsy Boutique!  I used Spectrum Noir to color up Poe and the quill feather. I typed text and inked in red because it was about his love of his real wife so red for hearts.  Another gothic looking black die cut flower and leaf with gold flakes glued on top with a bead for a center.

Keep hopping and inking!  Poe needs some appreciation; he pretty much had a lot of really bad days!

Sunday, January 21, 2018

Edgar Allan Poe Appreciation Blog Hop at LeighSBDesigns Inspiration Blog Day Three!

Eeeeeeeeee!!
I am so excited for the third annual Edgar Allan Poe Appreciation Blog Hop being held by LeighSBDesigns!
And to make it even more Poetastic, LeighSBDesigns has soooo many NEW and unique digital stamps released for this event! And I am honored to be one of her designers so yep, Wow! 
am I just thrilled right now!

Here is a very tiny sneak peek at my project today! Head over to LeighSBDesigns Inspiration Blog to see the rest of the story!






Friday, January 19, 2018

Ready for More Poe? Third Page of My Fat Page Book for the Poe Blog Hop!

What fun we are all having!  Time to show you the third page of my Poe fat page book; it is the twin page to page two and I made sure to put them in this order.  I used OddLeigh the Raven for this one. Make sure you, too, are linking your awesome Poe makes over at the LeighSBDesigns Inspiration Blog!  LeighSBDesigns has created this Oddleigh the Raven digital stamp and lots more Poe new releases at the LeighSBDesigns Etsy Boutique so check them out!



Again using paper from the same designer paper pad with some background stamping and text inked with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink.  Since of course I am using his passion for writing as my theme, I glued a die cut typewriter highlighted with gold gel pen to an ATC paper sprayed with tea dye shimmer spray.  I know his work was probably done with a quill pen but this is an old typewriter so I fudged a bit! The little white glob was one of my attempts at melting crayons with the glue gun and putting different items in to make a wax seal like I am sure he used.  So it got popped onto the page! The raven and words are colored with Spectrum Noir markers.

Keep hopping and definitely making those Poe projects!  It is after all the 3rd Annual Edgar Allan Poe Appreciation Blog Hop hosted by LeighSBDesigns Inspiration Blog!

Time for Page Two of My Fat Page Book!

Hi, all!  Back again today with page two of my Poe fat book page.  I will be entering it in the 3rd Annual Edgar Allan Poe Appreciation Blog Hop at LeighSBDesigns Inspiration Blog!   Don't forget to check out the LeighSBDesigns Etsy Boutique that has many many newly released Poe digital stamps! 

This page is all about the Oddleigh Raven Nevermore!  


I had to give him a door to hang around and shout his lovely "Nevermore"  I used a die cut and put some fabulous paper with spiders crawling so when you open the door you get a surprise! I stamped some random Halloween and background stamps in white and purple to give it a ghostly look.  Some typed text inked edges in black, and a bit colored gold and another fabulous paper flower make up the page.  The fabulous raven is colored with Spectrum Noir markers.

Off to the next blogs on the hop and have a fabulous Poetastic day!



Fat Page Book Fun For the Edgar Allan Poe Appreciation Blog Hop at LeighSBDesigns Inspiration Blog!

I just could not decide on which fantastic new release Poe digital stamps by LeighSBDesigns for the 3rd Annual Edgar Allan Poe Appreciation Blog being held at LeighSBDesigns Inspiration Blog to use on what type of project!  They seemed to fit so well together than a fat page book seemed like a good start!  This is my cover page of my book using Oddleigh Edgar Allan Poe with Text.



I colored him up with Spectrum Noir Markers.  I used designer paper from a 6 x 6 paper pad (I know usually use my papers and they will make an appearance during the hop!) I inked the image I cut around as I had colored around the image with a light brown to blend in with the paper.  I typed up his date of birth and death, so young only 40 years old when he died!  And such a tragic life! I used tea dye shimmer spray to spray a background strip of cardstock and to ink around the dates. I used some black flowers scattered with gold flakes as an embellishment.  I tied all the pages together with a gold cord.

Hope you are entering and hopping along leaving lots of love for everyone!
Thanks for stopping by! 



Monday, January 1, 2018

Snowy Fireworks

Meet Oddleigh New Year Elf  and Fireworks!  The happy little Elf comes with her own traveling fireworks!  What a wonderful pair of digital images!  There is also a great sale for her and the other new release shhhh!  I am showing you this next! 





I had such fun coloring her up with Spectrum Noir markers.  The fireworks I colored with watercolors and then fussy cut to put on a journal page I had painted with left over colors from palette.  Then the little Elf was attached to the page and my wish for a Happy 2018 written on left over watercolor paints.

Hope you enjoy seeing this lovely image as much as I did working on her!  Visit Leigh's Etsy store and YouTube channel both are fabulous!