Friday, January 29, 2010

Did You Know? Valuable Smeared Ink Coupons

To celebrate our first release, we are offering two awesome coupons during our first preorder period. When you place your preorder by February 15th, you'll receive a coupon for 10% off an entire future purchase. When you preorder ALL FOUR SETS by February 15th, you'll receive a 20% off coupon! The coupons will be sent with your stamp order and can be used on any one of your future purchases off the total order amount.

How cool is that! Also, be on the lookout for our permanent website to be up soon. It will still be located at smearedink.com where the temporary one is now, but it will include awesome features that will make your shopping experience super convenient. In the meantime, you can see and preorder the first four sets on our temporary site, and you can read a little about us. Enjoy!

Thursday, January 28, 2010

End of the Month Challenge Reminders

So this post is just a reminder about some upcoming challenge deadlines on the Smeared and Smudged forum. Right now we have a card sketch challenge and a scrapbook sketch challenge sponsored by Faerie Song Art Stamps. Win a free stamp plate of your choice! Just use the sketches provided and upload your project by Jan 31. You can also participate in the Faerie Song Challenge. Use a Faerie Song stamp on anything and enter it to get another entry to win the free plate.

Plus we have the Oh The Horror Challenge that is based on recent and vintage horror movie inspiration. This challenge has no entries yet this month, so you could win just by making a project! The theme is "The Brain That Wouldn't Die" and you could win a free Blockbuster movie rental with popcorn and candy. Who wouldn't want to win that!!!!! I've included a picture of my sample here, it's a keychain inspired by the movie poster and a quote from the movie, and it used the Bombshell Angel set from Bombshell Stamps.



If you'd like to participate in any of these challenges, simply follow the link, register for the forum if you haven't already (you'll get to network with some really wicked stampers!), and then make your project based on the rules. The deadlines for each of these challenges is January 31. Then we'll do it all again next month. Can't wait to see your entries!

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Bombshell Hop Post

If you're here for the Bombshell Hop, unfortunately I wasn't unable to finish my project! I've been so so busy the past few weeks, if you want to see what I've been up to, scroll down and read my post from yesterday. But, in leu of a new altered project, I am going to share some of my favorite past altered Bombshell items with you. Hope you enjoy looking at them again, and I've posted the hop list below for you to continue the hop.




Angela
Sy
Alyssa
Katie
Kas
Kathi
Keely
Gabby
Steph
Kelli
Miss Magoo

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Smeared Ink Store Now Open!!

I know I said I'd have a fourth sneak peek for you on Thursday, but we've finished early! Which means the Smeared Ink store is NOW OPEN for preorders! Visit the Smeared Ink website to view and order our first four sets! Be sure to read about the preorder special on the store page: when you order all four sets at once you will receive a valuable coupon good toward your next order.

Also, we will be giving away a FREE stamp set each month. Click HERE to learn how you can enter.

So here is the fourth and final sneak peek of the new line. You can find this stamp in the "Elementals" set available to order now.



I have a little fire in me, so I decided to make my card smokin' hot! If you leave a comment here and let me know what you think of the new line, you will still receive an entry for the free set we will be giving away on Feb 1st. So what are you waiting for? Go check out the new sets!!!

Earn a Free Smeared Ink Stamp Set!

The NEW Smeared Ink stamp line has finally been released! Wanna learn how you can earn a free set of your choice? Copy one of the button codes below and post it in the sidebar of your blog or on your website. Then leave a comment on this post with a link to where you have it posted. At the end of each month, we will check the links and have a random drawing to choose the winner of the free set!

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Monday, January 25, 2010

Smeared Ink Stamp Line Sneak Peek #3

Are you ready for another? There's only 1 week until the new Smeared Ink stamp line is released for preorder, and I have two more sneak peeks for you! The first is this one; a card that features stamps from the "Shadow Thingies" set. Since Valentine's Day is not too far away, I thought it would be appropriate to make at least one lovey-dovey card. So here's my version of an I Love You card!



Aren't they just such a cute couple in a creepy sort of way? Once again, leave your comment with your opinion to be entered for a free set!! I'll have the last sneak peek for you on Thursday. Also, join me on Wednesday, I will be participating in the monthly Bombshell Hump Day Hop, and this time it is open to the public! If you wanna participate with a project, visit the Bombshell forum and sign up, deadline to do so is today.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Smeared Ink Stamp Line Sneak Peek #2

As promised, I am once again posting a preview card for the new Smeared Ink stamps that will be available for preorder on February 1st! Our first release will have four fabulous sets, and we'll be adding to the collection each month. This sample uses two stamps from the set called "Chicks Dig Guns ", which will be available in the first release.


*click for larger view*






Once again, I'd love to hear your opinion, so leave a comment and you'll be entered to win a FREE set. If you comment on all four sneak peeks, you'll get four entries! We'll be announcing the winner on February 1st.

Also, be sure to bookmark the Smeared Ink website now. It is still under construction, but will be up and running soon. In the meantime, be on the lookout for another sneak peek in a few days!


Friday, January 22, 2010

Meet The Smeared and Smudged Design Team- Jean

If you tuned in last Friday, you know that each week I will be featuring a different Smeared and Smudged Design Team member. Today I'd like to introduce you to Jean. Read her story in her own words, visit her website, and take a look at all these awesome projects!!! Also feel free to leave some love!


Glitter Words




My name is Gloria Jean and I use the nickname Jean. I am a baby boomer. Love black clothes and crosses. My eyes tend to move toward the glitter and artsy side of the clothes style but, can be seen in animal print pants and those must have eight inch hot pink shoes or lime green. My hair is flame red and eyes as green as emeralds. I do not follow trends and can never be seen in an outfit twice. I like who I am and always have; I am a self made woman.

I have 4 children and often wonder how someone can have two boys and two girls as different as night and day. But, they accent each other nicely. They grew their wings and knew where they were going and are all doing exactly what they wanted to do in their lives. I am a very proud mother.

I am a nurse and have a degree in liberal studies, A B.S. in mental health and human services. A stamp appraiser, book binder, oral communication major, and a psychology major, data input expert, writer, as well as a poet.

All about me as an artist: I am a chameleon who designes in a variety of styles. One moment I can produce victorian and artsy and then dark and on the edge. Self taught and educated in public schools with the best art programs available; I use my imagination, human emotions and take down all the fences we seem to put up as an artist. I carry no baggage, What you see is just what you get from me.

I am serious about my art and continue to study each day about different ways to express yourself. If at first you don't get the rough draft all you have to do is take another look and hopefully you'll get it this time.

I love everything about what I do in my life. I am a very happy person. Love to share my experiences and teach anyone who is willing to listen. I am often asked for advice from others who view my work. I repeat over and over these words.....If you see the circle in front of you the way you drew it on your own paper, then believe in yourself. Draw that circle your way.

I work with all mediums but my favorite is acrylic painting. There is something special about painting something and then painting over the whole canvas and starting clean and fresh.

I would like to share with everyone that the mouse traps I designed have been selected by Eric Lamoine who is the owner of "WISP Magazine" to be published in February 2010. And I will be working with Eric and the team scouting for new talent that will be published in Wisp. I am blessed!

Favorite Statement:

"I have a dream and I am not ever going to give it up. It may not be the same

dream I had 25 years ago but it's just as important because it's all mine!"


Glitter Words















Glitter Words


http://www.jeansartdolls.com/
Click on the Rose to Enter and Sign Up for the Forum


If you'd like to see even more of Jean's, and all the other DT members art, head on over to the Smeared and Smudged forum and join in the fun! Also, be sure to check out a very special post tomorrow here on Smeared and Smudged; I'll be revealing another sneak peek of the New Smeared Ink Stamp Line! 'Til then.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Free My Wings Altered Tin and Purple Mermaid Treasure

Today I have two Bombshell Stamp projects to share with you. Both were meant for challenges, and neither one can be used. Argh!!! I barely missed the deadline on one, and the other just doesn't quite meet the criteria, but oh well. I love them anyways.

My first project is an altered tin. After three years of hanging on to this empty hodgepodge hardware tin, I finally sat down and did something with it! I started of course with paint. My base color was midnight garden, a really pretty deep blue-green. Then I added layers of lavender paint and some purple glitter glue. I stamped some background in copper using the "Striped By Me" Bombshell set, and I finished the paint by spraying white and gunmetal black in various spots.

I little while back I got a really cool RAK package from Kathi that had a dressform cutout, among other things (thanks again Kathi!!!), so I decided it was time to use the dressform. I covered it with clear microbeads, and then painted them with paint pens in black and white, and once again used midnight garden for the dressform stand.

The heart image from the "Sacred Heart" Bombshell set was stamped and colored with prismacolors, then covered with glitter glue. I layered feathers, my dressform, and my heart to form my main image. I completed the tin by adding painted scrabble tiles and a hanging jewel. I think I'll be using this to hold some notecards with the same heart image on them, but we'll see.

*click pic for larger view

My second project is a card made using the "Mermaid Treasure" Bombshell set. I started by layering paint over cardstock, swirling to make it look a little like water, and then stamping the seaweed directly into the paint to make some ivory colored images. The little sprinkle-looking things are microbeads that I dropped into the wet paint. I stamped my mermaid and colored her with prismas, then cut her out. I also stamped some extra seaweed in purple paint, added pearl-ex, and cut them out to add layers. My treasure was stamped and colored, then I added in the jewel, pearl, and glitter bling. Finally I put everything together and tied my 3 ribbons to the side.

*click pic for larger view

So, I hope you enjoy taking a look at these. I was feeling very purple when I made them, and I blame it partly on the Gogol Bordello song that we've been listening to on the Smeared and Smudged forum, ha ha! "Start Wearing Purple" really inspired my color choices for these two projects. Speaking of which, come on over to the forum and join us for our sketch challenges and very special Faerie Song challenge, going on until the end of January! You can win a fabo prize from Faerie Song this month, and each month the sponsor changes. Hope to see you there!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Macabre Monday Challenge #021 Eerie Elegance

So, I'm loving Barb's Haunted Design House Blog, and if you guys haven't checked it out yet, you really REALLY NEED TO!! Part of the charm is a weekly challenge called Macabre Monday, and I get to spread my creepy wings and make projects that highlight my dark side. There's a theme for each challenge, and this week's theme was eerie elegance.

I don't know if I'm known for my elegance in my projects, but I figured I'd give it a go. For my eerie creation I used Bombshell Stamps sets "Till Death" and "Mi Amor".

*click pic for larger view*

The background is embossed in silver, and although you can't see it well in the picture, each corner is sporting a black crystal. I layered my stamped roses ala 3-D sticker, and went for a grayscale look with just a touch of color on the beauty's lips and the leaves of the roses. The flower in the tux pocket also has a black crystal.

I tried to make an elegant but dark card that you could send to your hunny, and I know I would use it, so I hope you all enjoy! Now go check out the challenge and enter before Sunday night!!

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Meet the Smeared and Smudged Design Team- Alison

So most of you know that the Smeared and Smudged Forum on Ning now has a Design Team. And if you didn't, well, now you do. For the next couple of Fridays, I'd like to take the time to introduce you to the amazing members of the team. Each week I'll be featuring a different DT member and telling you a little bit about them and their creative stories.

Today, it's all about Alison!

Glitter Words




Alison is a teal-haired, art and craft fanatic. Even at 32, she's a goth chic with a rocker edge, and it often comes out in her work. She prefers the roads less traveled... the ones that are a little darker, freakier. She loves to make things that will surprise you with color, content and symbolism. She tries to show people the other side of the spectrum, and to get people to open their minds.

Alison has been a crafter since her mom first handed her a crayon. She has always had a love for it; it’s in her blood! Her first big passion has always been jewelry making. Her mom used to take her to garage sales (from about the time that she was 4), buy her old beaded necklaces, cut them up and let her re-string them. It’s been a love affair ever since which eventually grew into an obsession with silversmithing. Her other big passions are scrapbooking and card making. She loves paper and all the wonderful things you can do to it. The messier, the better in her mind. In addition, Alison loves to stamp, make altered art, draw, paint, and whatever else she can create while getting her hands dirty.

Beyond being a crafter, Alison is the blessed mom to Phoenix and Rhiannon, and the lucky wife to Gene. Alison loves to of course spend quality time with her family, read, play video games, and to simply make art! Alison graduated from Hofstra University with a Fine Arts Degree and Specialization in Silversmithing.

Glitter Words
















Glitter Words



http://alisonsrandomthoughts.blogspot.com/



So, I hope you enjoy visiting Alison and seeing all the wonderful creativity she has to offer!!! Next Friday I'll be featuring another great member of the Smeared and Smudged design team, and in the meantime since I'm no longer extremely sick, I may have a few projects up my sleeve for you in the coming week.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Smeared Ink Stamp Line Sneak Peek!

What what you say? Did you do a double take after you read the title? Well, I have a HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT to make! If you've been following this blog or the Smeared and Smudged forum for a while, you may have heard mention of a Smeared Ink Stamp Line. Well, that dream will become a reality relatively soon. For my loyal followers and friends, I have an exclusive sneak peek at one of the images that will be available in the line!

This image is called Accordion Carnie, and will be available in one of the sets. I made my sample today following guidelines for the Macabre Monday challenge #20 over on the Haunted Design House blog, and I hope you like it!


*click pic for larger view



So the purpose of this sneak peek is for you to tell me what YOU think of the image! Leave a comment and let me hear it, and you will be entered into a drawing for a free stamp when the Smeared Ink line releases in a few months. I'll announce the winner on Feb 1.
Ready, set, go!

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

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!

Friday, January 1, 2010

New Year, New Challenges! Faerie Song Art Stamps Sponsor and Art Journaling

Happy 2010 everyone! The project I have to share with you today is actually very personal and kind of a realization of myself and my resolution for the upcoming year. On the Smeared and Smudged forum we have had several art journalers join in and so have opened an art journaling group. I've never done any art journaling, although I LOVE to alter the outside of journals, and thought there could never be a better time to try it than now.

After a pretty deep discussion on the forum about exposing your inner self through your art and creativity, I was moved to journal last night and came up with this page. Like I said, it probably means more to me that it will to you, you may even say "What the hell is that?" , but I still feel compelled to share it as a way to solidify my resolution to truly find myself this year and express myself in honesty through my art. Here it is:







So there you have it, my first attempt at art journaling. If nothing else, it was fun and very revealing, and I look forward to continuing.

On another note, I would like to let you all know about this month's challenges over on the Smeared and Smudged forum. We have four challenges going on this month, including 2 Sketch Challenges and a Faerie Song Challenge where you have the chance to win a FREE PLATE OF YOUR CHOICE from Faerie Song Art Stamps! That's three chances to win! Plus, we have the monthly Oh!The Horror Challenge where you can win a movie night mini prize! Come on over and play with us, and enjoy the fun, growing forum.

For now, I wish all of you a peaceful and prosperous new year!!