12 Days of Christmas Day 12- Grand Finale

Woo Hoo it is the grand finale for the Smeared and Smudged 12 days of Christmas! (But please, no confetti because it is impossible to clean up!)

Welcome to day 12 of Smeared & Smudged 12 Days of Christmas sponsored by Smeared Ink. Check out the blog roll of participating artists in the right sidebar. Today is a Smeared Ink Day and my project features "Steampunk Sugarplum Fairy". This is definitely one of my favorite Smeared Ink images!

I made the propeller glisten with some Stickles and the Sheer Heaven behind the sentiment was coffee dyed. Normally snowflakes aren't black but considering the audience I think it worked!


Randy here- Happy holidays one and all! I am in a much cheerier mood (in case Santa is watching). I have put the cards on the fireplace mantle even though I do not like heights. The undecorated tree is in Heather's daughter's room and I'm going to bake cookies next. Snickerdoodles and some frosted cutouts I think. Later Milly is coming over for to carol, drink spiked eggnog and help wrap gifts. (I'm all hooves when it comes to wrapping.) I know Santa will think I have been a good reindeer this year. I texted him my list: Hoof covers with skulls on them, a Kindle, a Starbucks gift certificate, a warm blue comforter for my bed and a knit hat that fit over my antlers.

Thanks very much for stopping by today- happy holidays to you and your family (including the 4 legged variety)!

12 Days of Christmas Day 11: More Tree Cards (+ Rebel Randy)

Welcome to day 11 of Smeared & Smudged 12 Days of Christmas sponsored by Smeared Ink. Check out the blog roll of participating artists in the right sidebar. We'll be posting every other day until the "Big" day.

Today's cards feature "I Heart Christmas Trees" by artist Jane Beljo for Squigglefly. I kept them simple and flat because I had to mail them and I didn't want issues with them arriving damaged. The first card has a background of Stardream text weight paper and it is a dream to texturize. The second card features a homemade spray misted background and some polka dot washi tape. I love that washi tape but I am struggling to find cute uses for it. I'll find my way eventually.


Randy here- Well we are almost to the big day. This hasn't been nearly as much fun as Halloween. Not that I am complaining or anything that we don't have a Christmas tree. Seriously, it is my holiday and goodness gracious do you think it would kill Heather or her husband to buy me some Cap'n Crunch's Christmas Cereal or at least carry the artificial Christmas tree up from the basement. I wouldn't even DREAM of asking for a REAL tree.

PS All those crunched up candy canes on the floor- I had NOTHING to do with it. Just because I had some pieces stuck to my HOOF doesn't mean I got mad and stomped on the box. And my socks are on my antlers because I am protesting- not because they got all sticky with candy.

Deck the Halls- with scraps

I had to make just a few more holiday cards so I grabbed some scrap ribbon, an extra image and some Stardream metallic paper and texturized it. One of my favorite holiday cards and probably the quickest for me to put together. The image is from Squigglefly and is called "Deck the Halls" by artist Robin Willis.

Entering into the following challenges:
Weekly Christmas Card Challenges: Week 3- Non Traditional Christmas Colors
CHNC Challenge 51: Anything goes for Christmas
ABC Christmas Challenge: Y is for Yipee (Anything Goes!)

Thanks for stopping by!

12 Days of Christmas Day 10: Gothic Monarchs (+ a message from Randy)

Welcome to day 10 of Smeared & Smudged 12 Days of Christmas sponsored by Smeared Ink. Check out the blog roll of participating artists in the right sidebar. We'll be posting every other day until the "Big" day.

Today is a Smeared Ink Day for the 12 days of Christmas AND my card is for the Smudgy Antics challenge for this week. The challenge will run for 2 weeks (due to the holidays) and can be either: Wicked Santa or Gothic Christmas or a combo of both.

My project is tree ornaments. I used homemade glitter mist to spray dictionary pages which I then cut with my Slice. Over the top I layered printed acetate that I also cut with my Slice. A neat layered look, me thinks! I printed Calaveras- Sugar Skull digital image on green paper to complete my butterflies.

Randy here- Sorry no picture today, I wasn't up for being photographed. There is no easy way to say this- Milly has left the team for a new job. I have mixed feelings because she wasn't my favorite person in the world but she was good at the holiday stuff. However, things here weren't going according to plan (ie no holiday decorations or tree and Heather is sending her cards today). Milly felt she was being underutilized so she has decided to join the Griswold family in their holiday endeavors. I wish Milly the best of luck and I hope she will send me a Christmas card.

12 Days of Christmas Day 9: Button Star

Welcome to day 9 of Smeared & Smudged 12 Days of Christmas sponsored by Smeared Ink. Check out the blog roll of participating artists in the right sidebar. We'll be posting every other day until the "Big" day. Today is a Smeared Ink Day so I used a Smeared Ink stamp from Urban Decay.

If you look at the star quickly you would think I stamped a button image- but actually it is a screw. I sprayed the background with a homemade mist made with a Nick Bantock reinker (I think discontinued by Ranger). The image is stamped with the same color ink for a tone on tone effect. Simple but a little different style card than I usually post.

Randy won't be posting today. He is taking the day off (with my blessing) to sort through some surprising news he received yesterday.

12 Days of Christmas Day 8: Metallic ornaments card

Welcome to day 8 of Smeared & Smudged 12 Days of Christmas sponsored by Smeared Ink. Check out the blog roll of participating artists in the right sidebar. We'll be posting every other day until the "Big" day.

Today's card features background paper that I made using Faber Castell Gellatos, which are creamy colored sticks (like a lip gloss) that you rub on paper and they are blendable. I used blues, greens and a silver metallic. After they dried I over stamped them with images from the Urban Decay sheet from Smeared Ink. Day after day I use that sheet and I still haven't used all the stamps on it yet. The "tire track" on the right is the edge of a larger image- major coolness!

This card also fits the Squigglefly Challenge for this week: Clean and Simple Holiday theme. Last Squigglefly challenge until 2012!


Randy here- Good Morning! I just toasted up half a cranberry bagel and after I eat I'm going to tackle wrapping some gifts (but I might wash my hooves first!) Wrapping is a challenge when you have hooves- just saying ;) Milly was awake at 5:30am and she finished wrapping and left for the community center to walk around their track for an hour. I'm going to enjoy the peace and quiet ;)

Thanks for stopping by!

12 Days of Christmas Day 7: Barbed Wire Christmas Tree

Welcome to day 7 of Smeared & Smudged 12 Days of Christmas sponsored by Smeared Ink. Check out the blog roll of participating artists in the right sidebar. We'll be posting every other day until the "Big" day.

Today is 2 for Tuesday- It is a Smeared Ink Day for the 12 days of Christmas AND my card is for the Smudgy Antics challenge for this week. This week's challenge is create art based on a poem, film or book. I opted for a film I saw as a kid. I do not remember the name of the film but part of involved some kids who hung out/ lived? in a junkyard. It was Christmas time and the kids decorated a Christmas tree with stuff from the junkyard- I remember tin cans. It is kind of a fuzzy memory but it inspired my tree.

The tree features images from "Urban Decay" from Smeared Ink. The ornaments are circular hardware images from the same plate. The tree was stamped with a woodgrain image from the same plate, then I colored on top of it with a brown Copic marker. I lost some of the detail so I stamped it again with sepia colored Versafine ink. The outer border was stamped with still another image from the same plate. (Can you tell I REALLY like that plate?)

Randy & Milly here: This morning we got a look at a typical lunch that Heather makes for her offspring: PB&J on white bread, Granny Smith apple cut in half and cored, bottled water and low fat blueberry cereal bar.

Milly- I'm shocked! Everything in there should be organic- including the water. Children should not eat apple skin and that isn't even an organic apple. I'm shocked.

Randy-I think her lunch looks pretty good. She could use more protein but I see what she puts away at dinner so I'm not worried.

Milly- Oh Randy! You think cranberry sauce is a fruit! What do you know about nutrition?

Randy- At least I'm not a cannibal! Milly, I saw you eating BEAR CLAWS at Tim Horton's!

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

12 Days of Christmas Day 6: Scrapling "Let it snow" card

Welcome to day 6 of Smeared & Smudged 12 Days of Christmas sponsored by Smeared Ink. Check out the blog roll of participating artists in the right sidebar. We'll be posting every other day until the "Big" day. Can you believe it- today is the halfway mark?

Today's card is a scrapling. The background was stamped in white Brilliance ink with an image from "Urban Decay" from Smeared Ink. The remaining elements were cut with my Slice and I made a conscious decision to let them run off the edges of the card. I really like the sketch I used.

Randy here- (Whispering) Good morning! I'm making breakfast for the family this morning. I've been inpsired by the concept of turducken. (A turducken is a dish consisting of a de-boned chicken stuffed into a de-boned duck, which itself is stuffed into a de-boned turkey.) So I'm making French toast, surrounded by pancakes, with Belgian waffles as the "bread" of the sandwich. It is going to be delicious and I can't wait to surprise everyone! My cooking tip for today is if you spill egg on the floor ask for help to clean it up- do not lick it up! I need to go find some juice.

12 Days of Christmas Day 5: Journal Page

Welcome to day 4 of Smeared & Smudged 12 Days of Christmas sponsored by Smeared Ink. Check out the blog roll of participating artists in the right sidebar. We'll be posting every other day until the "Big" day.

I started this project on Sunday and I love the concept of the large wreath embellished with punchies. Unfortunately, I realized too late that my sizing was wrong for the card. So I decided to make a page in my working journal and deconstruct what I had done and noted the good and the stuff to change for next time. I'll be re-making a similar wreath and showing you on a future project.

Thank you for all of the support you gave me surrounding about the strike. As it turns out, Milly learned about strikes in one of her classes and convinced Randy that it was a good idea. After a private discussion with Randy where I explained more detail about strikes, he agreed to end the strike and talk to Milly about it.

Randy here- I'm really glad that Heather taught me more about strikes and that when you are in a family you do not strike. Heather and I watched "The Year Without a Santa Claus" and we had cocoa and she gave me some egg nog candy. I don't know if you can see them, but I have Christmas hoof protectors with red stripes and pictures of reindeer on them. Milly isn't feeling well so she is in her room resting. I'm not supposed to go near her so I won't get sick or bother her because bears get grumpy when they are woken up (so what is Heather's excuse)?

12 Days of Christmas Day 4: Smeared Ink Wednesday

Welcome to day 4 of Smeared & Smudged 12 Days of Christmas sponsored by Smeared Ink. Check out the blog roll of participating artists in the right sidebar. We'll be posting every other day until the "Big" day.

Today is a Smeared Ink Day. I used stamped with chalk ink an image from "Urban Deacy" on the upside down trees. Had my printer been cooperating, the sentiment would have been computer generated.


Randy and Milly here: Just posting a short announcement that we are officially on strike! We are not participating or helping to promote Heather in any way until the following demands are met:

1. Better dental plan (that's Milly's idea)
2. Pizza at least twice per week (Randy's idea)
3. 2 weeks of paid vacation at Christmastime (mutual idea)
4. Clean sheets, towels and laundry on a daily basis (mutual idea)
5. Heather to drive us anywhere we want to go whenever we want to go (Randy's idea)
6. $100 per week allowance each for Milly and Randy (mutual idea)

Until our demands are met, we ask that you stop reading this blog and stop commenting. Reading this blog and commenting shows that you side with Heather!

Randy and Milly

This is Heather again- Please do comment and show me your support. I refuse to give in to their demands and I welcome anyone who cares to comment. And since Randy and Milly aren't going to do their work, I plan on withholding some service and comforts that they take for granted!

12 Days of Christmas Day 3: SFC127 and OCCC sketch

Welcome to day 3 of Smeared & Smudged 12 Days of Christmas sponsored by Smeared Ink. Check out the blog roll of participating artists in the right sidebar. We'll be posting every other day until the "Big" day.

Today's card is somewhat bittersweet it is the last challenge for "Heather's Headliners" my sub design team for Squigglefly. The last 6 months have flown by and I am very grateful to the entire team for their dedication, creativity and sense of humor. The theme for this week's Squigglefly Challenge 127 is "Based on a Song"- Base your project on song lyrics. I used the song "Deck the Halls" and the image is "Deck the Halls" by artist Robin Willis. The sketch is from Our Creative Corner: "Haul Out the Holly".

For fans of Randy and Milly- They have the day off today. I don't really understand how they can take vacation time during the BIG month but that is what I get for not having my lawyer review their contract before I signed it. Yes, you read that correctly- Randy and Milly (AKA the Talent) have representation and made me sign a contract before they agreed to appear on my blog this month.

12 Days of Christmas Day 2: Smeared Ink new release images

Welcome to day 2 of Smeared & Smudged 12 Days of Christmas sponsored by Smeared Ink. Check out the blog roll of participating artists in the right sidebar. We'll be posting every other day until the "Big" day.

Today is also a new release day for Smeared Ink! The whole team has created stuff using the new images. Most of the Smeared Ink Team is playing in 12 days of Christmas so you'll see their work as you hop today. However, Freddie and Kapree aren't doing 12 days, so do stop by their blogs today.

I lucked out and got to work with presents. There are 2 of them- one is plain and the other has bats. I printed a whole bunch in various sizes and created the "pile". The gray background is from the Urban Decay set and is edged with teal chalk ink. The letters and background have teal metallic Lyra pencil and the corners have my new white polka dot washi tape.



(Wispering) Randy here- HIDING! I'm here in Heather's craft room hiding from Milly. Holy guacamole does that chick talk! My headache has a headache from listening to her so I'm helping Heather organize. Seriously, I prefer to have Heather nitpick about everything I touch to dealing with the Mill-ster so you KNOW she must be annoying.

This morning I just wnated to brush my teeth in peace but oh no not if Milly is around. Did you know there are 242 types of bacteria that live in your mouth and brushing your teeth doesn't even remover half of them? The Milly proceeded to list every type of toothpaste and toothbrush on the market and tell me how effective each was. Can you say annoying?

I thought Heather was the most annoying spirit on Earth... not anymore!

12 Days of Christmas Day 1: Pink Christmas

Welcome to day 1 of Smeared & Smudged 12 Days of Christmas sponsored by Smeared Ink. Check out the blog roll of participating artists in the right sidebar. We'll be posting every other day until the "Big" day. But it won't all be Christmas- Winter and other winter holidays will be celebrated too. Be sure to visit Saturday 12/3 my fellow Smeared Ink design team members and I will be showing you the new release images. Definitely something for all tastes in the new release.

The card today features "I Heart Christmas Trees" by artist Jane Beljo for Squigglefly. The background features hand carved images from gg Designs rubber stamps. Charlotte the owner created a plate of blossoms and named it after me. The burst is one of my all time favorite stamps because it makes such great backgrounds.

I'll now hand it over to my co-host, Randy the Reindeer, who lives with me and my family while he attends college. Randy wrote about his adventures during 31 Days of Halloween too.


Randy here- Good to be back and I am proud to be HOSTING (none of this CO hosting stuff) 12 Days of Christmas. I've been busy studying for exams (and cute co-eds) but when Heather Baby told me about this 12 Days of Christmas I knew I had to contribute- after all I am a REINDEER- this is my holiday- right?

You're probably wondering about the photo? Milly will be helping out this month when I have exams. (What this really means is that Heather told me that if I pull any "nonsense" that I am out and Milly is in as the co-host.)

Seriously, I know you are here to see me and without me Heather might as well shut down her blog. I'm not scared of her. She should be shaking in her boots that I'll quit and go co-host on someone else's blog. Lastly, Milly is a DORK, so trust me I am NOT at all worried.