Happy New Year's and Welcome Back!

Notice anything different?  Oh yes!  We have been doing a bit of redecorating here at the old house and we are all inky, painty, and a right mess but so pleased with how it turned out!  We are putting a lot more focus on all things weird, odd, and downright mind blowing...but never, ever cute!  So to help us kick that off, the decorating spree!

This month we have two amazing sponsors and we are so happy to welcome them to our place!  First up, we have A & T Digital Designs Shop, home of the Emerald Fairies!

From A&T, Anita:

"Hey there I'm Anita artist/scrapbooker. 

I've always been a big fan for as long as I've known.. I love to paint ,draw and play with paper."

Digital art stamps shop

http://anitasdigiart.blogspot.com/

Facebook fan page

https://www.facebook.com/AandTDigitalDesigns

Here is what we made using the awesome stamps from Anita, thank you so much!

CT Granne creating with Binkie and Buzz

CT Anne

Started wondering.... about those circusses and monkeys, where do they go for holidays?  And what if you were born into a troupe of acrobats, but had no head for heights?  Here's a sneak peek of their vacation,  (using  Mushy House )

CT Kim

"Deep in the Forest"

Digital Canvas using Mushy House and Mischief Circus Marta van Eck Hotel Hell and Mycology(retired)

CT Nan

 using " Mushy House " with Mischief Circus' " Holliwood Fire 1" and "Happy UnBirthday" with an image released from the British Library.  He seems to be an "Arseonist" spelling courtesy of CT Anne with a hidden meaning :) and the story of Poe's death is revealed at long last!  Look in the upstairs window!  Edgar Allan Poe (Teddy Bear series) comes from Butterside Down Stamps.

Another awesome sponsor, also new, the fabulous Bloobel Stamps!

 

Bloobel Stamps

The most original, odd, quirky digis brand new to the scene!

CT Granne opening Art Journal with Sick Boy and Flappy Angel

CT Anne

My poor phobic trapeze artist is quite the Sick Boy 

CT Kim

"RUN"

Digital canvas using "Heart Spring"

CT Nan

using "Snowball Thunk" in "The Snow Battle" Canvas

So prizes to be won and lots to go look at and hopefully pick out a few things to play with!  And hope to see your name below with Evil Froggy who is totally not happy with last month's turnout...and we know what an unhappy Froggy means! 

So now it is your turn, go shopping and come back to share your awesome makes with us! Evil Froggy is waiting...

An InLinkz Link-up

Christmas Tagging - Naughty, or Nice? and Sue Tells All!

We would like to thank each of you for playing with us this 8 months and for the support you have given us!  And we want to wish you all a wonderful Christmas and New Year's!  What better way to end Creepmas than with CT Anne's holiday tag?  None, so here it is!

Are we talking Cemetary Graffitti here?

Well! We all know Santa is a jolly know-it-all, that implies wisdom. Owls are "known" for wisdom, so does that make Santa an Owl? Stampendous provided the Tombstone Owl image,then glitter pens and Lindys Stamp Gang sprays were washed on. The printer got a workout with the "sentiment", and the bat (it wouldn't be Creepmas without a bat!) is a QuikKutz die.

I can never leave the backside of a tag blank.  A recently-deleted Rick St Dennis image! Full of glitter pens, Lindys Stamp Gang sprays, and the eyeballs built up with 3 layers of sepia glossy accents. Not the easiest to photograph - why don't I THINK before pulling the glitz out! The wee sprays of mistletoe are from viva las vegas stamps

                          

                         

 Love them bones!

We can't wait to see how Sue's tale of Kevin ends so here we go!

It was the day before Creepmas Eve. All was fairly peaceful.. No unwanted visitors, no Creepmas movies. The Demon couch was out on the front porch just in case Nan tried to plump up the cushions.. Leigh had a go and got a nasty nip. Kevin was helping Fifi clear up the kitchen when he heard the strangest sounds. A loud scuffle and banging and shout-singing. Deborah opened the front door and... carol singers! They were trying to drag the couch off the porch or at least to pull some boots out from under a cushion. It turns out that Polly had wanted a rest and had sat down when really she should have been singing with gusto. The couch had still been feeling a bit peckish and had nibbled her bum. She had obviously tasted quite nice because the next thing she knew was that she had become tangled in the springs and bones. Dan thought he should at least make a bit of money through the loss of one of his singers and started rattling his tin but all he ended up getting was a full card of forged Morrison's stamps (Without an M) (These really are getting forged...we know 'cos ours were checked yesterday) By the time the rest of the ladies gathered at the bottom of the stairs Dan and his group had elbowed their way into the hall and refused to leave.

Donna had found a spell left over from Halloween and, after a quick chat with Val, it was decided to have a go at building a portal. Donna and Fiona read through the instructions and started measuring up the downstairs loo. Val was handing round eggnog with squash for those who arrived on broomsticks. When Donna and Fiona slipped back into the hall the portal puddle opened. Now all that was needed was to simply wait until the copious amounts of eggnog and juice did their job and the requests to use the 'powder room'.... the two witches queued  outside whilst Gary went in. The door creaked open again.. the loo was empty. oh well.. Petra, who was so skinny that Kevin had seen more meat on a Butcher's pencil went on in whilst Cathy went back to see if the snakes needed 'to go'. She collected them and the rats and went back to the empty room. She stepped inside and locked the door. Once again the door opened and in went Kitty. Now there were more singers in the loo than were in the living room. When the door opened after the final 'visitor' Kevin took a photo of the full portal and placed a notice on the door just to remind him not to enter till the spell wore off...



Thanks to our Creative Guest Sue for a brilliant story to get us this far to through Creepmas! We hope you all remember this month's challenge runs until the very last day of  the month and year! even though we will be partying at the house and might not notice you dropping your entries off!  And don't forget to come see us on January 1st...we have heard whispers in the fog of some awesomeness to come!

Happy Holidays from the Dream in Darkness Creative Team to you and yours!!

Of Snowmen and Seasons and Sue's Chapter 11

CT Anne here filled with Creepmas Spirit and the house is strangely quiet!  But will worry about that tomorrow....I was inspired by the pictures, but too busy to take Derryn Mentock's "Merry Men of Christmas" online class currently on.  I shared the link, and it became a springboard for some friends to make & swap our own.  So I started "conventional", and the snowmen evolved from these, hung amongst a crop of a traditional Christmas food - fresh cherries. Yummmm, they're sure happy to be in the shade with such sweet treats in their grasp:

 Then I got bolder: Under the raspberries, this snowman is wielding a bat in one arm, and a cat in the other

And in the glow of sunset they all gather for a bbq

Perhaps these snowmen are more worthy of turning up in this blog:

They decided it was a nice evening to go surfing at the beach

 I think this chappy needs to apply sunscreen first, blood just doesn't cover it!  Though I'm sure he'll deny it's blood - merely fresh raspberry juice!

The Laughing Buddha is a familiar "face" - why does he laugh?  Well wouldn't you with two dancing girls hanging onto your... I turned a shot glass upside down, glued fluff around the base, carved a flat spot on the polystyrene ball to take the buddha bead, then overpainted all with white gesso... strings of silver sequins dangle down, sprays of crinkle wire go up.  Mirror mosaic squares round the base.  And it's quite a sparkly piece.  The jar to the right turned out a bit of a challenge as the skull didn't really fit the opening, and instead of polystyrene, had a hollow harder plastic with glitter all over.

The jar I attached this skull into can balance on its side:

Not scary, but a bit of a worry all the same - a Steampunk Snowman.  What will the salt water do to all his Metallica?

 This was a salt/pepper shaker, with the sprinkler top discarded, and glitter glue added up the spiralling indents  A tinsel pipe cleaner is a neat scarf.

All very odd and believable, but did you notice Evil Froggie hanging out with one?

In fact he's swinging off this chappy's rhinestone scarf.  Should Nan be afraid?  I gouged eyes and mouth out of the polystyrene ball, painted the hollows black then interference green in the eye sockets, interference orange in the mouth.  The rest of the ball is Jacquard Lumiere silver over a coat of Golden's Clear Granular gel.

So, what do you think of my growing collection of weirdos gathering round my Christmas trees?  Bet they would stress Applejack Sue's Kevin, no end.

Supplies:

Golden have a fantastic product, Pearl Mica Flake.  Instant brilliant glitter WITH dimension.  Little dabs for snow build-up, coating balls for snowman heads - there's not one character here without it.

A lot of the baubles & trinkets come from Silver Crow Creations - wee tree, mushrooms, the green coca cola bottle, cat & bat were cocktail toothpicks once, ballerinas, ming pine tree, crinkle wire, spider...

These snowmen are great stash-busters with scraps of lace, ribbon, fluff, die cuts, etc - just have fun, and work through to your dark side with them.!

And who else to pair with these snowmen?  Why Sue's tale of Kevin and a whole house full!

It certainly had been an eventful week. Deborah managed to get connected to Kevin's Bloodbook  page and posted the message about a deadly Tinselitus outbreak in the area and the quarantine  orders. Hopefully it would prevent any more guests just turning up. Nan went through to the kitchen taking care not to squelch any of the finger rolls. Squiddy and Deborah collected Reg's eyeball ready for the afternoon game of cricket. Kevin was preparing lunch with Val's help. Those crunchy bone sandwiches which really tasted just like peanutbutter and tombstone crackers and knees. There was the problem that Fifi had used the same knife that she had used to scrape the zombie kid's flakes of skin off the floor. Now they didn't know if they were looking at finely sliced cheddar or bits of the kids..There was a slithery sloopy sort of noise coming from the fireplace. A sucking sound rather like the sound wellies make when they walk through sewers. Something rather nasty was dripping onto the fire grate. Slow and stinky...  and Ploop! It landed on the hearth. Just because it had a Santa hat didn't make it Santa and certainly didn't make it a welcome newcommer. It slythered over to the coffee table and took a mincepie IN EACH HAND!!! Enough!!

The ladies worked together. Fiona started to charm the creature by juggling party hats then threw the biggest mincepie, distracting him as Deborah ran to the toilet and collected the Reindeer loo rolls. She tied one end to a table and dipped and jumped as she wrapped the roll around some of the tentacles. Val was hitting him with the empty sherry bottles (making sure that they were empty first...) Nan and Leigh managed to position the couch as Susan leapt onto the creatures back, riding him straight up and over.. she jumped off just in time as the couch opened it's cushions and SNAP!! A bit of a chew, a rather loud burp and unfortunately a quite nasty, smelly..... you know what..... and all was quiet.     

**credits: https://www.zibbet.com/rick1949/i-am-too-santa-digi-stamp
https://www.zibbet.com/rick1949/creepy-mantle-si-creepmas-digi-stamp
Background Alchemist for Mischief Circus
Mincepies from Christmas Bundle for Mischief Circus**

And we thought we had house problems with that Frog!  Oh dear me!  And why is the house so quiet I wonder?  Granne was here two days ago, Nan was last here days ago, and Kim?  If you are writing Santa please ask him to return our missing team members!  Kim was hitting the nog hard and ....... ?  Entries please as we are much too worried to hassle you about them!

Day 19 of Creepmas Rolls in with CT Granne and Sue's Chapter 10

                       Ho Ho Ho and all that good stuff we are getting down to the wire on Creepmas! Speaking of wires, CT Granne has a friend who got a little too close to the Creepmas lights and water apparently!  Here she is having a moment of Creepmas fun!

Thia is SI Frankie Girl http://www.smearedink.com/#!hallocuties--frankie-girl/c1kg4

Sue is ready to reveal the next chapter!

There was such a racket outside the living room window. By the time Kevin had clambered over the wreckage of the couch which was burping rather loudly and had reached the window he saw Butch peering back at him and behind Butch was the creepiest carousel. It was like the flamin' Dingles had set up for one of their weddings. But here the horses looked nothing like carousel rides. These looked more like nightmares. At least Butch had tried to be a bit festive but he had seen what had happened to Doris and he had decided to stay put in the garden. Kevin thought that someone should have asked permission to erect a carousel in his garden especially one whose creatures weren't as wooden as they should have been. A passing rabbit was scooped up and slowly crunched... just bits of fur was left decorating the snow. Patsy, Graham and Dennis (The zombie kids) came running down the stairs clamoring to get outside. As they sped through the hall Donna flung open the front door and the kids left Kevin's house without even pausing to say Thank You. Donna slammed the door behind them and everyone joined Kevin by the window waiting to see what happened when kids met carousel. Patsy  rammed the remains of Fifi's water bowl into the mechanism and the ride came to a shuddering stop. Dennis and Graham climbed on board the demonic creatures, cuddling their throats with sharpened fingers. Patsy leapt onto the last ride and held fast whilst she knocked the shards of the bowl away with her brothers arm (very kindly lent by Dennis)  The music started and the demons bucked. The kids hung on yelling Tally Ho! The carousel cracked as the demons broke away heading down the lane with the shrieking kids happily bumping into each other scattering forest folk as they passed by the lake.

https://www.zibbet.com/rick1949/scary-go-round-carnival-de-la-nuit-scene-digi

https://www.zibbet.com/rick1949/carnivorous-angel-butch-digi-stamp

Background Abandoned for Mischief Circus

Seems as if those pesky kids are gone!  Good job, Donna!  Time is spinning like a demonic carousel and slipping away so enter now for a chance at some RSD digital images!  We are sloshing the nog back and really having trouble typing comments but if you get a slurred, sloppy thank you, you will know we have dropped by your blog!  And to tell a secret, CT Kim is knocking back a whole lot of it so.....we are hoping to have her errrr....level headed for January but that is only an estimate!  

Merry, Merry!

150 years in the Dungeon and Things are Melting Away with Sue!

And Alice must be getting pretty sick of it!  Not to mention the chains getting so rusty all the Steampunkers will be out to snitch them.  Happy 15th Birthday Alice! BUT someone is in the Dungeons, having yet to commit a dastardly crime!  Now THAT'S what I call Preventive Custody!!  I have a 1924 copy of "Through the Looking Glass" and rather than ri a page out, did a colour photocopy to retain the patina of the paper, and enlarged to 122% to work better with the size of stamps in my Collection. Look at all those dead pawn skeletons scattered round the dungeon chessboard floor.

 

There are several different stamp companies offering Alice stamps. I added to the original dungeon with a stairway to heaven or at least out of the dungeon. It and the Diminishing Glass are stamps from Silver Crow Creations, who also have some unusual-shaped playing cards that found their way here. Not exactly a Royal Flush, though!  The Mad Hatter squatting doesn't have that fearfully constipated look either!

All stamps were heat embossed and a wash of using Golden Fluid Acrylic paints with interference green painted over the dungeon.

 

Page adhered to black mat board, chains ...well wouldn't YOU be dragging YOUR chains after a 150 years???

Chess Board Lost Coast Designs

Red Queen, mouse and skeletons MadRat

Stairway., Diminishing Glass, and Oval Playing Cards Silver Crow Creations

Don't move an inch it's time for next installment of Sue's story!

Freddy had just finished decorating his home. He had fairy lights and a jolly snowman, he was wearing his best Creepmas jumper complete with jingle bells and was looking for some new toilet rolls.. the ones with images of reindeer embossed for comfort. He was not amused when he saw what he thought was a drunk Creepmas tree hiding under a bush at the back of his house. Kevin had told Freddy that he was welcome to move into the outhouse at a fair rent... but wasn't prepared to share his home with uninvited guests. There was some strange black sparkly dust trailing after the tree and bits of tag and ribbon floating about. Meanwhile, Wilbur had introduced everyone to Mr Egg (Looks a bit like a spoon) and Mr Nog (The thingy with all the legs sitting in the bowl) Val brightened up and started giving Doris and Nan bottles of rather chewy wine. Doris made herself comfy on the couch, strange that she hadn't noticed it before. It was really quite a lovely couch with a place for her glass and a plate ready for some savory nibbles. The pattern of the fabric was almost hypnotic, it really looked like the vines were moving. The cushions seemed to hug Doris as she wriggled a bit, sleepy with sherry and wine. Was the couch getting larger or was Doris relaxing just a little too much. As Doris stretched and turned to reach her glass her legs sank into such a comfortable weightless softness. Her back followed then her arms. She knew something was wrong when her head was cradled by the extra frou frou Creepmas throw and she was slowly and gently absorbed by the demon couch. Kevin had always hated the couch..a gift from his Auntie and had never sat on it. Now he thought what a great way to do a spot of recycling.

https://www.zibbet.com/rick1949/this-is-as-jolly-as-i-get-digi-stamp

Background kits from Mischief Circus

 Well, lets hope CT Nan can handle her "chewy wine" in time for Christmas! Meanwhile, the Frog is not happy one bit! He has thrown off his hat and trashed the tree and you know why..yes, you do!  Get those entries in we worked hard on that darn tree! 

Jump the portal NOW right HERE!

Have You Been Good and the House Party Continues at Kevin's Place!

CT Nan with a question for ya!  Can there be a whimsy Krampus?  I was reading up on the old guy since this is only my second Creepmas celebration and first, I am glad my folks didn't know about him!  I was never naughty of course, but still :)  This journal page came from my studies and is the abbreviated version of Krampus..and yes, I know I forgot the sticks in his hand!  It is dark outside, lovelies!!!  No going out there this time of year no way!

I drew him LOL can you tell?

Sue has some tragic news from Kevin's so right to it!

Kevin had thought of laying traps just outside his door. He had found some old mince-pies at the back of the pantry with some green smudges on the crusts (to give a bit of festive cheer). They were quite solid with sharp edges so they would make pretty good missiles if flung from the attic window. He also found a stow-a-way at the back of the pantry..cousin Wilbur. How on earth did he get in there? Wilbur had thought that as he was stirring a Christmas pudding that he would be made welcome. Oh No! Sharon ran at Wilbur with her lips pursed making 'kissing' sounds, her tinsel streaming behind her. Wilbur shrieked and sidestepped Sharon. He tried to run but a small parcel hung onto his leg so he ended up swinging his right leg out to counter balance the extra weight. This did not bode well. With the mixing bowl in one hand, and a feisty spoon in the other Wilbur ducked to miss the mistletoe and skidded on the eyeball which had finally fallen off the tree and was rolling towards where he had last seen Nan. Sharon was mid spell-cast. She had aimed it towards Wilbur but it hit the spoon which whacked Wilbur across the back of his hand. Startled Wilbur let go of the mixing bowl which flew up into the air, spun round twice and landed on Sharon's head. Sharon promptly vanished! Only her shoes were left in the middle of the hall. Smoke was drifting upwards from the toes... the shoes then just crumbled into dust. Sharon was no more.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/205073702/eggnog-anyone-nimbleknees-gherkin-2?ref=shop_home_active_7

Background Abandoned for Mischief Circus

That event surely inspired you to put on something a little moldy and toss it at the Frog who is waiting with evil anticipation! See you

in two days for another make from Dream and another chapter from Sue!

Merry Merry!

The magic portal is HERE for linky post!

Someone's been sleeping in MY spoon!

And it's still there!

With hand curved comfortably over a full tummy. (Probably still full of Thanksgiving Turkey as well as Christmas cake)

If you're wondering, those are black mica flakes and very tiny gold beads masquerading as... food?

And his headdress is made from peacock and chook feathers.

Asleep in the spoon, is this a weird being?

The tiki is light green Opals (utee) melted in a silicon mold from Krafty Lady in Australia, 

The black mica flakes and flower stamens came from Silver Crow Creations

And yes, that IS the bowl of a spoon he's nestled into.

I took part in a spoon-doll swap last month.  This fellow I sent off, and below is the one I received.  On a fine day in the sun, she's a slightly vague oldish ... Goldilocks?  Surely not!!!  At night... well let's just say I wouldn't be surprised if in fact it was Little Red Riding Hood's Grandma... after the wolf took her over?  "Oooh Grandma, what huge wings you've grown"... "All the better to use up that leftover resin, my dear"

Freaky Creepmas, my friends, CT Anne!

Another chapter of Sue's story!  How many of you are enjoying this story?  Wow!  That is a lot of "Yeahs"!!!  So here we go! 

Another flamin' knock at the bloomin' door. Kevin really just couldn't be bothered to open it so just yelled COME IN! The door swung open and there stood a chap with candles on his head.......    Terry felt immediately at home. No-one ever actually invited him to parties but he was always made welcome at Birthday parties... but just 8year old's Birthday parties. It didn't really make a difference that he hadn't actually been invited to this one. He had read about it on Bloodbook and thought it would be nice to catch up on all the news after Nan's rescue of the lake fishes. Suddenly there was the biggest... CRASH! The zombie kids had broken Fifi's water bowl. The tree had toppled over and was crushing the presents which finally burst their boxes and lay there.. no longer moving. Reg (The tree) had a fixed snarl where his mouth should be and a glazed eyeball hanging out. His reign of terror was over and Nan and Donna dragged him through the mayhem of what once was the kitchen and out the back door. They managed to get him as far as the outside loo and bundled him under a bush to be dealt with after Creepmas. They then nipped round to the front of the house and let themselves in. Sharon was shouting in the kitchen and the remaining fingers were walking all by themselves over the blood splattered kitchen floor. Val was trying to keep Lucy away from the sherry which didn't make much difference as Lucy had already done the rounds of the living room slurping up any drinks that had been left just lying around. Squiddy managed to climb in through the kitchen window (after Sharon had locked the back door) and hit the ground running.. she scooped up fingers as she crouched, taking the corner of the dining room like she was on wheels.

https://www.zibbet.com/rick1949/mr-shadows-digi-stamp

Background Mischief Circus

Come join the fun at Dream in Darkness for the Creepmas season with your entries!

We are waiting for you.......