Death and a Rainbow

Hmmm…perhaps I should have saved that title for something else, as it conjures up a lot of very interesting things… Maybe I’ll just make a 2.0 version. But enough of me babbling! Alison here. Today I am bringing you a card using Misty Benson’s Tarot Set 1: Death, only available from Smeared Ink.


I used some very cheery colors in only a couple of key areas of the image. Don’t these skellies look like they are having a great time? Do you see the teeny tiny ones falling in the rain? Click on any of the photos to get a bigger view.

I didn’t want the rest of the card to take away from this image, but I wanted to use more of those bright colors. So, rather then using papers, I broke out my Smeared Ink Urban Decay set and used the wood grain image. I stamped it all around the edge of my card with Versa Mark ink. Then, I colored the border in with my chalks. Hmmm…this would have been a great technique for yesterday’s blog hop, huh? I just haphazardly rubbed the colors on. Then I glued the Death image on. That’s it!

Easy as pie! Well…easy as store bought pie since pie from scratch, isn’t so easy to make as it turns out…. But once again, I am digressing. This is fabulous technique that has awesome results. And talk about fast! I made the border and had it colored in in about 3 minutes. What a time saver! Give it a try! Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Don't Step in the Blood Splatter!

Greetings! Alison here. ‘Tis yet another Friday (hooray for the weekend!) so I am here with a new Smeared Ink creation. I just got the Inky Dreams stamp set, so I decided to start my card for this week with the big background. Then…a Glam Vamp. I know. You are shocked. I can’t help it! I like that digi set a lot! I also added a few sentiments from other sets as well. Let’s take a look.


I stamped the splatter on a cream cardstock. I liked it against the clean white card. Thought it was kinda funny to have such a messy image over a pristine white card. Just me? Then I colored up Rachel. Looking at it now, I could have printed her out bigger, but I tend to just print a massive amount of images at once, and then put them all together later. But, the sentiments (also on white) fill up the space nicely.

I put her in black and grey because I really wanted the red blood to be the only color. Well, that and her eyes and lips which are also red.

Here you can see how shiny the splatter is. I embossed it with a nice, rich red from Ranger. It looks like it’s coagulating! The sentiments are from the Love Grumpies, Heart Wings, and Death Cab. I hope you have enjoyed my offering for today. Have an inspiring day!

Holy City Box

It’s Friday! This has been quite a busy week. Fun…but busy. And because of all the busy, my project is not quite finished. I need to embellish it a bit more. I’m hoping I can do it today…But we’ll see. For now, it looks pretty cool. Just not complete.


I used a plain wooden box and painted it green, then crackle painted it, and Distress Inked it. And the top has, as you can see, an image from Smeared Ink’s Holy City. The box was purchased for this very image.

I colored the image with my colored pencils and Mod Podged it to the top. I just love this image. I plan on adding some things to the top. I’m not exactly sure what yet…I need to look through my stash to see what I can find. But I definitely need some more texture. Some lumpy, bumpy goodness.

Here’s a close up of the crackling. I purposely did not apply an even layer of it. I really wanted the green to show through. I’ll be sure to post photos when the box is done. But what do you think of it so far??? Have an inspiring day!

Clean & Simple...with Smeared Ink?!?!

Hey All! Alison here! There’s something you probably don’t think about when you think of Smeared Ink stamps. Clean and simple. It’s certainly not something I usually think of! But I figured that some folks may be intimidated by the “typical” (I use that term very loosely!) Smeared Ink style. So, I wanted to show you that everyone can use these rad stamps, even if you like the Clean and the Simple! I started off by coloring Glam Vamp Anya with my watercolor markers. I cut her out, but I could have just stamped her directly on the card too. Then, I used 5 of the awesome sentiments from the Lil Grumpies set, stamped directly on the card. I purposely stamped them askew. I punched out a Drippy Goo Martha Stewart border and stuck it to the top. Two red Dew Drops to represent bite marks and a thin marker-made black border around the whole card and voila! Easy, clean and simple! I hope that I have shown you how to use these images in a different way. Have an inspiring day!

Glam Vamp Ann-Marie

Happy Friday! I have a short-n-not-so-sweet Smeared Ink post for you today. Why the short? Because we are the proud new owners of a puppy! After all that happened to us in the last few months, we thought that a pup would be something to really help us get through it all. Now if only she’d stop peeing in the house! ;) Why the not-so-sweet? Because I am using Ann Marie, one of the Smeared Ink Glam Vamps.
I colored her using my markers and pencils. Then I took some kraft card stock and stamped the “Bite Me” from Smeared Ink’s Teen Style Sayings set. Clear embossed it. Then I took my Martha Stewart drippy stencil (originally made for decorating cupcakes), and used some Candy Apple Red Glimmer Mist to make the background pop. The mist doesn’t stick to where the embossing is, which I think looks really cool.

You can see the shine and glimmer from both the mist and the embossing powder here. You can click on any of the pictures to get a closer look. I am entering this card into this week’s Macabre Monday which is “Dastardly Divas.”

I know…I know…you wanna see the up, right? Meet Abigail…our little Potcake from Turks & Caicos. :)

Isn’t she a cutie? And there’s Rhi, giving her a hug. She fit right into our family! Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!!!

A Skull Stompin' Glam Vamp!

Helllllooooo and welcome to Friday! So glad the weekend is just about upon us, though it will be a busy weekend in the Heikkila House…but that’s a ‘nuther story.

Since it’s Friday, that means it’s my turn to share a Smeared Ink creation with you. I tied this one into this week’s Macabre Monday (Alas…Poor Yorick). I chose to use one of the Glam Vamps (Christine) along with the skull from the Quoth the Raven set.

I promise you my card isn’t cut crooked…it’s just the photographer. ;) I colored this hot little chica up with my watercolor markers and a touch o’ colored pencils.
Can I just say that I want her boots?! My sentiment is from Stampers Anonymous. I thought it was pretty snarky! Alas…poor Yorick!


The sun washed out the color a bit here…but I wanted you to see that I embossed the skulls in clear. Sooooo….? What do you think? I like it, personally…but I would rather you toot my horn for me! ;)
Hey! Didja know that the Smeared Ink Design Team is having a DT call! YOU could be one of US! How rad would that be?!? Read all the deets HERE. You’ll be glad ya did! Have an inspiring day!!!