YAY, summer is here

Schools out and summer vacations are

in, for kids right a way - mine; still 4 weeks to

work till holidays.

We have lots of birthdays during summer

and I made this "waterfall" card

that says: Have just terribly FUN Birthday

Card was originally made for The Male Room DT

post (that's why the watermark) but due the change

of themes, would not be used there.

Lets see what kind of art summer makes you create,

linking there --->

not much more entries till we hit 40 and

somebody gets something from other side of 

world (in my point of looking)

Lest We Forget

The Bubonic plagues, then Spanish Flu killed millions, and we still haven't figured out how to stop pandemics in their tracks.  Maybe the Gargoyles were right all along:

"After losing their sister to Spanish flu, the 2 Fates wondered if people would ever heed the Gargoyle's advice: social distancing."
So there you have it.  Surely The Fates could have kept one of their own alive.  But no, not evebn the Fates can dodge Fate.  So keep your social distancing up for the long haul rearing up ahead of us.

The picture of the girls turned up randomly and unattributed somewhere in facebook I think.  The period of their garb, and the room they were in instantly put me in mind of the Spanish Flu, elegant multi-storeyed buildings.  Somehow I managed to dodge Steampunking it.
This is another 8x8 fat page with a binding strip at left.
Stamps from Paper Artsy include the Zinski house, Hot Pick "Lest we forget".
Seth Apter stamps include a Spellbinder one no longer available, it is similar to the top one in this link.  Plus an Impression Obsession one heat embossed.  Dylusions Halloween set bats, vivalasvegas Gargoyle trio frieze, and Altered Art's Gargoyle.

We still have a prize to award to the most interesting dark-themed piece of yours between #21-40 so keep sharing your creations.

Mermaid Virus

Mermaids?  On a Dark Challenge blog?
Covid-19 is still around, and although we are down to Level 3, it's not much freer than level 4 was.  Social Distancing is still very important, as are maintaining our bubbles.  Even mermaids along our coast are supposed to comply!  The lighthouse normally sends out warnings to shipping to avoid shipwrecks on mermaid-infested rocks and caves.
On the one 8x8 fat page, here's the "before"

 Open out the flap of memory of how it was in 1865, and this is 2020:

Stamps all from Rubber Stamp Ave, the seagulls are from Silver Crow Creations.

So that's my spin on mermaids for the Mermaid Blog Hop over at LeighSB Designs - join them at
https://leighsbdesigns.blogspot.com/2020/05/mermay-blog-hop-and-meri-oddleigh.html?m=1&fbclid=IwAR17fGJvOLWWThqbf8z9Zz8XXsMTXMt60dHMW-j05xweLcJ83EeoyuhQhI8



And share your dark takes on anything in life or dreams with the linky at the right.

Scattered minds

1 May is always the start of the Duck Shooting season.  The guys (and girls and kids) are out before dawn in their maimais, ready to take pot shots.  This year it is delayed at least a week. Damn that virus!!!  Being in Lockdown yet working fulltime (from home) also leaves me as scattered as the autumnal leaves gracing our yards.  So how about some little bits and pieces of art:

THE VIRUS ITSELF,

as depicted in so many news pieces:

 I was browsing through a drawer of MDF pieces for something else.  These hollow-centered drip-like not-cogs struck me as being perfect to represent the virus shape we see in all the news pieces, along with some blobs of flowersoft.  People are trapped in their bubble (ie glued behind a large glass cabochon, which fit over the centre hole).  The company making the mdf cutouts (Things to Alter) is no longer in existence.

Stuck in our Corona-virus bubble, almost 5 weeks Level 4 lockdown, now part-way through 2 (+?) weeks at level 3, hairdressers still are not allowed to open.  Now,

Every Day Is  A Bad Hair Day

Mercy!  Please!!!

I thought I knew who created Zombie Chicken stamp, but can't trace it.  ATC card, stencilled, and again can't identify the covid-shape little stamp either :(  Never mind, I need those scissors!!!

The final piece uses an MDF winged skull shape from Paper Whimsy

It's amazing the bubbly texture you can get from using a heat gun on Jacquard Lumiere paints.
Don't you think Asylum Anne has bubble-prisons on her mind?

We have a reward for the "best" dark piece you share with us on the right.  When entries reach #40, we will be choosing our favourite between numbers 21-40.
So keep expressing your darkest dreams with us all - they deserve to be aired!