The Month is Two Short 👀

YAY!!!!  A WINNER,  SANTA!!!

There are a lot of leftovers on the table, and I'm not waiting until next Christmas for more tools.  Meantime...  X marks the spot - 10 layers of X, with blood dripping from the third layer down.

Poor Santa, who would want to be out detecting (badly) in all that sleet, having to stay out of warm chimneys... but lucky for us, he's still Santa, and he's guaranteed now to have more wonderful goodies (not that I'm waiting until then, are you?)

Policeman from Viva Las Vegas stamps

Cityscape and Sticks & Bones stencils from Stencil Girl (who also have all Seth's stencils.

Barcode stamp and Drip Drop Die both from Seth Apter, Spellbinders have just listed his Broken Maze die too, wahoo!!!  Christmas again!!!!!

AND... through the month, I've been altering 2 teaspoons for a swap.  With all the Seth-tools littering my desk, of course they got involved too -  Robo Star die, Discovery and Inside Out stencils.  I crocheted the flower in ecru, sprinkled with Lindy Stamp Gang Magicals, then spritzed with water.  It looked a bit bland, so I swiped bits with Stazon Black Cherry

After Nan's Moon life, and David Bowie's appearance, let's Test the theme "There Is Life on other stars" - True or False?

From the back: granular gel over Paynes Grey paint, a better view of the angelina fibres, and how useful the holes in more layers of the star die are for poking brads through:)  It's tricky stencilling over the curved surface of the spoon bowl, especially when it's been coated in flowersoft.

And the whole teaspoon from the front:

Time to wrap them up and mail them off

We hope you've enjoyed the past couple of months of our playing with Seth Apter's wonderful "Artist's Helpers" as much as we have - from the number of times we've all posted, you can see we all were greatly inspired - and I'm sure they'll be popping up in many more blog posts.  Yours as well as ours 😉

It's not quite too late to enter your own dark/weird/off-beat but NEVER CUTE or even a hint of cute, makes in this month's challenge here to win something of Seth Apter's talent.

Drip Drop Drip Drop

• Summer Rains or sweat in the South?
• Melting Snow in the North?
• Hero-ing Seth Apter's Drip Drop die?

• Life is full of rules
• Long lists of them
• Bullet-pointed
• Going on forever
• and ever.

🌟 1   From my Not-PC journal/altered book:

Heroing the "surrounds" of card after cutting the die out. The yellow is the page underneath.   They look like bullet points as each makes a different point.

Also used Billboards stamp set, Spinners  stamp set (Word Spin), Unfinished stencil
And from Rubber Dance stamps, the zebra rhinoceros, who is telling us we must use Butterflies in our work, not zebras!  Yeah, right... who's he fooling???
The lowest "bulletpoint" was covered in Goosebumps, and the texture seems to have gravitated to the ink of the stamp underneath:

🌟 2  Jar Labels:

Must be time to go fishing to pickle some more!

Used the DeMengted Derma technique over the DripDrop die cut (tinted the crackle medium red first), and used Kroma Crackle the trad way (tinted yellow) for the inner label which was glued to the back of the diecut.  A light layer of pouring medium over the yellow crackle so it stays on, and a dab of gel medium behind the cabochon, and it has survived whereas the newt eyes have all been eaten.

🌟 3   Name Badge:
I actually started doing several to take to a class to share, but it didn't eventuate.  One side of the card had metal foil glued to it then over-stamped using Thunderstorm.  The other side had stamps, stencilling and random painting.

 After cutting dies, the inner one was turned round, so each "tag" shows both sides of the card at once.  Since I'm not handwriting names after all, I've used Spellbinder Art Nouveau font dies, cut then glued together 5 layers of  each letter, then added several layers of embossing powder over them:  They stand very high above the surface, and stand out well.

🌟  4  Spider's nest:
Converted to a spider's nest by wrapping a fluffy yarn round the ring part to cover it completely, with a few criss-crosses to later glue the cabochon with spider to the front, and a label to the back.  The drips have lilac flowersoft glued to them.  This could be turned into a brooch if you glued a fixing across the back.

🌟  5  David Bowie's Comet

Is there Life On Mars?  

It rather flew off on me into a Fat Book page (6" x 6"):  The front & back pages started with a layer of black tissue crumpled down, then a layer of blue tissue lightly crumpled, with some stamping using all 3 stamps of the Faded Fragments set, and Spinoff in the Roundabouts set.  Some Robo stars diecut out of the "paper" florists use these days.  Some stardust (kindy glitz).  David Bowie is framed in a comet of Golden's Pearl mica flake medium, and the skully one done in kroma crackle.

🌟   6:   The Inside pages:  NASA sent a robot in a spaceship, and apparently found enough "evidence" for Martian Life, that as Comet Bowie whizzed  past us headed that-a-way, David must have hopped aboard to check it out.  Of course, he doesn't need to wear a space suit any more, just a gauzy shroud.

Blue tissue paper was stamped as for the other side, before crumpling onto the page spread - without any black paper underneath.  Looks rather different than with the black under.
Once I saw Seth's pieces in facebook using the CHA releases (drool), I completed the page without text, until the new Alpha Drips stencil could get to me from Stencil Girl (along with some others haha) - and then I used the wrong colouring agent (pen) for the text so it's not as crisp as I would like... maybe star nebula dust got in the way 😄

🌟   7  The quick-witted will remember this picture from 1 February's post - and realise it changed once the pieces got onto the page:

Layers of dies can give quite a different effect to using pop dots in random places on a cutout.  The left-hand one has two layers glued on top of each other, then heat embossed with 3 layers of embossing powder, then another layer of reds and blues along the drip line. Under it is a skeleton leaf.  Why?  A veil over a mystery.  Under that are 2 more layers of the die glued together with the edges painted yellow, and glued offset, ie not aligned with the edges of the upper layers.  That gives more dimension to the frame.   A bit flamey all round, and the leaf/veil floats above the surface, giving more depth to the face underneath.

The right-hand one is a layering of 3 different dies:  in red the Robostar die, then a white dripdrop, then a robo ring with blue embossing powder.  On top of them is Kaisercraft's Nutcracker die, looking suitable robotic.  After putting this piece on the page, the robot was too busy and indistinct, so I cut another one, painted it gold with Jacqurd's Lumiere paint and glued it on top of this one..

🌟   8   Robo star dies frame the starburst stamp from the Faded Fragments set - made to measure!  For other subtle texture, stars were diecut from florists "papers"  I suggest you try a heat gun on each first before glueing down and heating to hurry the drying!  One melted, one evaporated.  And the mesh-like sheets need to be sandwiched between two sheets of paper if they're to cut through.

🌟   9  You can get all of Seth's goodies direct from him.  If you're mad about stencils, they are made at Stencil Girl.  Dies, embossing folders and some stamps are at Spellbinders.  Others of his stamps are at Paper Artsy (did we mention he has a line of Fresco chalk paints with them too?) and still more stamps with Impression Obsessions

🌟   10  FINALLY...... (last bullet in the brain)  As I sweat in nearly 30-degree (C) summer heat, I see quite a few of you "northerners" have thawed out enough to put up your dark, weird, off-beat, definitely not-cute projects on our challenge.  There's space for more of course, add yours here and one of the darkest, creepiest, most off-beat pieces will win something from Seth's generous gifts to us.

Happy Anti-Valentine's Day from Dream in Darkness!

Happy Non-Valentine's Day!  Sorry to say, some of us here at Dream in Darkness are just not into all the cute Valentine's stuff that is out there even though it quiet lovely!  But as you all beloveds know, there are far places to post sweet Valentine's than anti-Valentines!  So join us in our non-celebration!  Sort of like Opposite Day for the day :)

We are still very much celebrating having Seth Apter as our sponsor again for this month! 

Asylum Anne's offering a Surgeon's Anatomy Lesson
Since it's all about hearts...a Journal page spread.

Alpha Drips, Timeless and Transform stencils from Seth Apter aka The Altered Page
Inkspots and Roundabouts stamp sets also from Seth
Corset dress from Eye Connection
Heart milagro from Carmens Veranda
Calavera Con Flores, Creature Claw, various eyes, from Third Stone Stamps
Vintage Heart Diagram from Mad Rat

Passion's Lure

Always whispering....and waiting...
Crafty Chica's Sugar Skull, thank  you Asylum Anne
Seth Apter's stencils, Robo Ring and Drip Drop Dies
DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics & Metallic Luster, Modeling Paste
Drywall tape, Cardboard

I used a small alpha stamp set and stamped onto the shape left by the Drip Drop diecut.

Cardboard makes a wonderful substrate!

Lots of layers, paint and modeling paste.

...waiting...

No good Nan just plain don't like Valentine's Day cause it makes her sad :(  Then all the lovelies in the house tell her to hush up her caterwalling!  So you will understand her make!

I used a new set of round stamps by  Seth Apter that arrived just in time!  They are called Large Journal Coins and I love them!  Lots of paint (Grumbacher Transparentizer, acrylic paints, modeling paste) and gesso by Liqutex and layers of paste and stamps and paper.

Don't wait too long to play!

We hope to see your weird, odd, unique, or plain dark Valentine's in the entry box!  And the only one here who really does like Valentine's day but only the previously stated types is the Evil Froggy!  So blow him a kiss and get those entries in for one last chance to win from Seth Apter !!

We Have Our Eyes on YOU!

Our fabtastic sponsor this month is Seth Apter of whom you can read and shop and learn all at his blog The Altered Page! And we have him as our sponsor for two months so two chances to win awesomeness!   My offering today is almost a New Year's Resolution because the skellie with Seth's die in glitter paper around it is telling me that I do Got this :)  Something I always need a reminder of!

The skellie canvas was another free lesson of the Art Sherpa with Seth's round stamp with random numbers on it Alpha Centauri Cling Rubber Stamp stamped on the roses with black ink and around the canvas.  The sentiment is a mini stencil "You Got This"  with rough modeling paste painted over with some purple and white washed over it.  Love love the circle "Drip Drop Die Set"  with the drips that fit perfect around the skellie's eye!

Make sure you check out Seth's blog it has all the info you will need on it!  And get those entries into the frog so you can have a chance to win something wonderful from Seth!  So jump right HERE and enter for January!

The @#!!!##* WHAT is in the mail???

At the start of the year, you got a peek inside my hot water cupboard (here).  Here's a peek inside the letterbox, which frequently homes earwigs (I had brought it inside for refurbishment)

Hmmmm, not enough Happy Mail since Christmas - spider web, ants, even a bat has taken up residence, and something's bits of bones!!!

The spider web is from Eye Connect.  I threaded brads, and the narrowest cutout of Seth Apter's Citrus die through the holes.  Did the cockroaches think "No Entry" (Triplex, officially) symbols would stop the mailman from disturbing their environment?  The "archways" along the left side are cut out parts of the same die - adding "texture" 👀 or covering rusted-out bits of mailbox where insects come & go like doorways.  I also made use of vintage paper bags from Silver Crow Creations, cutting them for the inner circle of the largest Robo Ring die, (inside right wall above) and ripping a chunk to reinforce the hinge, which kept cracking when only paint was on it.

At this earlier stage, there are only 3 layers on the mailbox, including the "Timeless" stencil:

By the end of it, there are at least 6 layers on the inside of the door, plus the collaged paper and postage stamp.  Easily identifiable is the Discovery stencil which was repeated slightly offset in a second colour.

Seth loves telling us "If it's worth doing once, it's worth doing twice"

So I did - again & again 🔗🔗🔗

The outsides - the back had fewer layers.  You will see the Pathways die cuts in other places too.  I had a narrow strip of manilla folder, which was perfect for a bit of incomplete fencing... or something.  Maybe it's a breathing gap for the insects. 

Typical rural mailbox, it has the flag that, when up, says there's mail inside for collection, and the 4" version of  The Time stencil is a good size to tell the mailman he has to stop and collect mail to the Post Office.  This also gives a good shot of the NZ stamps arranged like the spine of a Tuatara along the top:

Different lighting in the photo below, and you can see Citrus and Pathway dies again.  Some of the Inside Out stencil was heat embossed. Hard to see but all adding texture, or patina (LOL) are stamps: Morse Code, Raindrops, Birch bark, and Letter spin which was stamped onto tissue paper then ripped and parts placed around the mailbox, 

On the other side the flag is again the 4" version of You Got This stencil, telling us from the distance whether it's worth coming down the drive for mail.  The arm of the flag includes the Urban Insiders Bar stencil - one part on this side, the other on the other side.  Both parts are also elsewhere on the mailbox.  Like the Birch stamp, they resembled aspects of posted mail.  I had had a near-final layer of spatters, with green-gold paint.  Looked fab, until it dried to invisibility, so out came the white.  Maybe it's guano, instead of moss-stain.

Within stamp was heat embossed onto tissue paper, and the lettering coloured in before gluing to the front.  (It was also partially stamped several times inside the mailbox.)  The numbers were die cut, stamped with  birch bark - for this project it was a particularly appropriate image, as it resembles the cancellation stamp over postage stamps.

Every so often I make a batch of tyvek beads.  Some proved handy to keep the front shut after threading onto elastic, and the Bat pick from Silver Crow Creations makes a great doorstop on the inside, and a hook for the beads to hang round, on the outside.

Here's hoping for Happy Mail, Fan Mail, just about any sort of mail to clear out the nasty taste of insects and post-Creepmas bills from this letterbox.

When I started going through my tool-stash, I realised how much of a collection of Seth's designs  I had acquired.  It started over 2 years ago when I met him and saw his urban grunge stencils across the ditch in Australia. On the challenge blog here we all feel amazingly privileged to have Seth sponsoring us so generously.  Seth's dies and some stamps can also be found at Spellbinders, more stamps at Impression Obsession, stencils at Stencil Girl, and classes on DVD or downloadable at North Light (and books).

Having watched and "done" the card play video, started the Top 10 Collage Principles one (while sort-of-convalescing from not-whooping cough), read his articles in Cloth Paper Scissors, seen clips with him in episodes of Make It Artsy, this mail box is rather "in the style of", as well as using his tools.  Challenge to me for next month is to use the tools in a not-Seth-style?  Unless E Frog or teamies over-rule me 🔇

Leave us some off-beat, creepy-love below, and link your weird/creepy/dark creation here, because Seth gave us some extra goodies to share!

January 1

So 2016 saw lots of musicians and the odd actor head off to try a new batch of harps the angels have been making, leaving us here to cope with pretending to "use up" our stash creArting and releasing our weird and dark sides.  Long may it continue through 2017!

Not sure about you but I am sooo glad 2017 is finally here! That means we can finally share our amazing sponsor for this month and next, the amazing Seth Apter! Seth is an amazing source of talent and ongoing inspiration. You can find his blog, The Altered Page, HERE . We hope you visit, pop over and tell him Dream in Darkness sent you :)

Seth sent the Creative Team some toys to play with and one stamp set to give to the winner of the January and the February Creative Challenge. But you can't win if you don't play! So, on we go with our team makes!

CT Anne asks, What was YOUR New Year resolution?

Do more housework?

I opened the hot water cupboard, wherein the vacuum cleaner resides

Oops, is that Evil Froggie's nesting place?  Should I slam the door shut? Or live dangerously, have a closer look with the flashlight  - might be an auxiliary craft stash from the looks of the dust on the machine, the mouse trap, and a manky vacuum cleaner brush that didn't quite get put away properly...  think I'll grab that right now!  Add the front of a plastic skull, and that's as far as it got in Michael deMeng's "When Good Brushes Go Bad" class.  Since then, he's been corrupted by taking too many road trips with Seth Apter - because he suggested using stencils in his "Skullduggery" class!  So for a New Year resolution project, what better than picking out "change" from Seth's Unfinished stencil.  Putting it onto a curved skull was a little tricky - one of those practice makes perfect things - with modelling paste.  And it ended up unsure whether it was saying "chanGe", or chanCe" - both work today.

 I took a bit of licence with the stencil, leaving quite high peaks in parts.

 and full frontal:

Dust Bunnies Beware!  Life is unfinished - you hope!!!

Whoah! Anne totally rocked her piece of art! Don't you think?

Well this is Granne here and I made an AJ page inspired by Cyborgs...

Totally had a brill time with our awesome sponsors products:

Maze and Laser Beams Embossing folders,

Splatter Proof and Ring Around dies with some

metal tape, alcohol inks and Inka Golds.

AND the fab iris - got it from far far away land and love the look.

Resistance Is Futile....

Such amazing and fabulous texture, Granne! Love it! Next up, it's me, kim with some more Seth Stash Playtime!

I made a canvas using some of the colors, shapes and words that hold much of my heart.

The canvas is a funky size 7" x 7.75" it started life as a giraffe print at the dollar store.

Many layers later it morphed into this!

I used the Drip Drop die set to cut paper and used the leftovers as a stencil to play with the brilliant circles that make my heart happy.

I used the Stencil Girl Club stencil to do Truths at the top with heavy modeling paste by DecoArt.

For Revealed, I stamped through the stencil letters with the Word Salad circle stamp.

Seth stashed used:

Stencil Girl full size stencil club stencil

Seth Dies and Cling mounted rubber stamp.

Check out his online shop HERE

Come back during the month for more fun!

The Frogster is mighty angry we have used the bones of his ancester in our badge. To appease the beasty froggy, link up your creative makes with us!

An InLinkz Link-up