Winner & Honorable Mentions, CHAPTER 20: Twinkle like a Bat, Shine like a Tea Tray!

Happy Hallowe'en from The Altered Alice!

Our sponsor this month is Smeared Ink, home of edgy, wild and fun designs in rubber and digital forms has released a Wonderland Collection; images are available individually or as a set. The randomly-chosen winner of this month's challenge will receive a $15 shopping spree in their online store.  But first. . .

One Last DT Project!

A two-page art journal spread from Lynne Phelps of Savvy Sisters Studio (me!). It was a real joy to color these complex detailed images despite it being a huge departure from my usual style, LOL! I really enjoyed the way the Queen of Heart's looking glass acted like a window into Alice in the garden and I wanted to have the two images next to each other to reinforce the connection. Here are some closeups of the images and my coloring:

I would love it if you would stop by my personal blog, Savvy Sisters Studio, and leave a comment there for me!

Our Winner:


Our sponsor this month is Smeared Ink, home of edgy, wild and fun designs will give the randomly-chosen winner of this month's challenge  a $15 shopping spree in their online store.   Smeared and Smudged is an online community of rubber stampers and crafters who enjoy using alternative, gothic, edgy, and unique stamps in their designs. We thrive on different and unusual. We welcome the macabre and devious side of things, and most of all, we embrace ALL types and styles of art. Whether or not you “come to the dark side”, your creations should be a reflection of you. At Smeared and Smudged, the most important thing is being yourself. There are lots of ways to interact with the community! [ Ning Community | Challenge Blog | Facebook Group ]

The winner of this month's challenge is #2 as chosen by random.org, so that means that Shahrul Niza of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is the lucky one! Check out her amazing exploding box!

Be sure to visit her blog, Such Pretty Canvas, for many more pictures showing all the amazing detail! Shahrul, please email me through the link in the left column so I can forward your info to Smeared Ink for your shopping spree! You may also add this badge to your blog, linking it to this post:

Thanks again to Smeared Ink for being such a great sponsor!

Honorable Mentions

Artwolf2009 from Munich, Germany brings us this scary entry along with a charming story! Be sure to visit her blog for the tale.

The wrinkled background texture behind these twinkly bats is fantastic. Kudos to Keren Howell of Altered Ego for trying a great new technique!

Leintje brings the very first shaker card to The Altered Alice and shiny metallic gold hearts make the perfect "snow".  The image of Alice with the playing cards flying about is just perfect for a shaker card! I love the way she used the bell jar shape, charming!

I love the quirky Cheshire Cat shape of this twice-altered clock from Blackdragon, who titled the piece The 31 Days of Hallowe'en. The outer border makes me think of board game trails to go along with that theme! Love the hand too!

WendyLynn's Paper Whimsies poses the question "is everyone in wonderland batty?" and I would have to say "why YES!" It made me laugh so it is in for a Mention!

Marcelo Carbone from Brazil and living in Italy, brings us the undead Queen of Hearts and her undead vampire playing cards! Eeeek! He calls this Alice's Hallowe'en Nightmare; who knew an altered doll could be so scary?

I had such fun watching the video by EmeraldQueen of TatteredRoses41 showing the creation of this art journal page Be sure to visit her blog to watch the video!

I am out of time to describe what I like about each project, but everyone did such a great job this month that ALL ENTRIES get an Honorable Mention! Thanks to all our participants for doing such a great job! See the other entries below:
Please leave a comment before you go!

Week 3 - CHAPTER 20: Twinkle like a Bat, Shine like a Tea Tray!

...it was at the great concert given by the Queen of Hearts, and I had to sing "Twinkle, twinkle, little bat! How I wonder what you're at!"You know the song, perhaps?'
`I've heard something like it,' said Alice.
`It goes on, you know,' the Hatter continued, `in this way:-- "Up above the world you fly,Like a tea-tray in the sky.Twinkle, twinkle--"'
-- Chapter 7, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Just like the Mad Hatter's song, we want you to create something that twinkles or shines; bats are optional! Think bling, metal, glitter, mirror card; the possibilites are endless! Some of the design team will be using some very unusual Alice-inspired designs. Just like you dress up for Halloween and take on another persona, these racy images have Alice and other characters all grown up and taking a walk on the wild side!

Our sponsor this month is Smeared Ink, home of edgy, wild and fun designs in rubber and digital forms has released a Wonderland Collection; images are available individually or as a set. The randomly-chosen winner of this month's challenge will receive a $15 shopping spree in their online store.

Smeared and Smudged is an online community of rubber stampers and crafters who enjoy using alternative, gothic, edgy, and unique stamps in their designs. We thrive on different and unusual. We welcome the macabre and devious side of things, and most of all, we embrace ALL types and styles of art. Whether or not you “come to the dark side”, your creations should be a reflection of you. At Smeared and Smudged, the most important thing is being yourself. There are lots of ways to interact with the community! [ Ning Community | Challenge Blog | Facebook Group ]

Enter your project by Friday, October 25 for a chance at the shopping spree. As always, multiple entries are encouraged (after all, this is a monthly challenge) but each entry must be on a separate post. All projects that meet the challenge criteria are welcome, but entries that feature Wonderland will have two chances with each project entered instead of one.

Your Weekly Inspiration
Wonderland is taking a walk on the wild side with these macabre images from Smeared Ink!

Donna, a.k.a. Meme of Meme's Art Place has plenty of sparkle and shine in this batty Mad Hatter image! The skull teapot is such a great touch. When you add the stack of skulls for the table legs and the bone-printed table cloth, this image is perfect for Hallowe'en in Wonderland! I love the spiky border she selected for the layers. Be sure to stop by Meme's blog to leave a comment!

Donna Mundinger of Popsicle Toes reminds us that "Time flies don't be late" in this dimensional fuzzy white rabbit image! I love the wings and Donna' trademark use of alphabet beads.

I love the way she has coated the White Rabbit to give a furry appearance! The way she has printed multiple copies of the image to add layer upon layer is wonderful. Loads of sparkly gems add plenty of twinkle and shine. Stop by Donna's blog to leave a comment about this fun dimensional card!

Enter your project by Friday, October 25 for a chance at the shopping spree. PLEASE include your name or blog name in the TITLE. This helps me enormously when it comes time to had out the honorable mentions! (Note: if you are viewing this post in a reader or email, please click on the title of the post to go to the blog to see the entries or submit a project.)



Please leave a comment before you go!

Week 2 CHAPTER 20: Twinkle like a Bat, Shine like a Tea Tray!

...it was at the great concert given by the Queen of Hearts, and I had to sing "Twinkle, twinkle, little bat!How I wonder what you're at!"You know the song, perhaps?' `I've heard something like it,' said Alice. `It goes on, you know,' the Hatter continued, `in this way:-- "Up above the world you fly,Like a tea-tray in the sky.Twinkle, twinkle--"'-- Chapter 7, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Just like the Mad Hatter's song, we want you to create something that twinkles or shines; bats are optional! Think bling, metal, glitter, mirror card; the possibilites are endless! Some of the design team will be using some very unusual Alice-inspired designs. Just like you dress up for Halloween and take on another persona, these racy images have Alice and other characters all grown up and taking a walk on the wild side!

Our sponsor this month is Smeared Ink, home of edgy, wild and fun designs in rubber and digital forms has released a Wonderland Collection; images are available individually or as a set. The randomly-chosen winner of this month's challenge will receive a $15 shopping spree in their online store.

Smeared and Smudged is an online community of rubber stampers and crafters who enjoy using alternative, gothic, edgy, and unique stamps in their designs. We thrive on different and unusual. We welcome the macabre and devious side of things, and most of all, we embrace ALL types and styles of art. Whether or not you “come to the dark side”, your creations should be a reflection of you. At Smeared and Smudged, the most important thing is being yourself. There are lots of ways to interact with the community! [ Ning Community | Challenge Blog | Facebook Group ]

Enter your project by Friday, October 25 for a chance at the shopping spree. As always, multiple entries are encouraged (after all, this is a monthly challenge) but each entry must be on a separate post. All projects that meet the challenge criteria are welcome, but entries that feature Wonderland will have two chances with each project entered instead of one.

Your Weekly Inspiration

Wonderland is taking a walk on the wild side with these macabre images from Smeared Ink!

Barbara Washington of Magic Delights created this fun swing card with the White Rabbit on the front and the Cheshire Cat on the flipside! She has embellished both sides with sparkling black spooky cat, raven, bat and spider web. The Cheshire Cat image is perfect for Halloween, with the vulture perched on the cat's hip and the wonderful "we're all mad here" quote.

Barbara created a second fun special fold card which feature the other Alice images from Smeared Ink; Alice, the Queen of Hearts and one crazy Mad Hatter! We have the nymphet version of Alice huddled under the magic mushroom on the cover, along with sparkling bats and the song lyrics from our challenge quote.

Unfolded card.

The Queen of Hearts.

One crazy Mad Hatter! Again, a perfect image for Halloween with a big dose of the macabre, with the bone printed table cloth and skull legs! Please stop by Barbara's blog to leave a comment about her fun and spooky cards!

On a different note, Amy Bowerman Stucki of Plucking Daisies altered and upcycled a plastic tea set into something sparkling and fun! The teacup with the stamped Danita images decoupaged all around is my favorite piece of the set.

I love all the attention to detail that Amy has poured into this cute tea set. Please stop by Amy's blog to get all the details, including a full tutorial, and to leave her a comment!

Enter your project by Friday, October 25 for a chance at the shopping spree. PLEASE include your name or blog name in the TITLE. This helps me enormously when it comes time to had out the honorable mentions! (Note: if you are viewing this post in a reader or email, please click on the title of the post to go to the blog to see the entries or submit a project.)

NOTE: It took me a while as it's my first time, but I successfully created this post on my iPad using the Blogsy app, which I highly recommend! It made it really smooth and in some ways it is easier than Blogger. Thanks for the tips!

Please leave a comment before you go!

Posted with Blogsy

Week 1, CHAPTER 20: Twinkle like a Bat, Shine like a Tea Tray!

...it was at the great concert given by the Queen of Hearts, and I had to sing "Twinkle, twinkle, little bat!How I wonder what you're at!"You know the song, perhaps?' `I've heard something like it,' said Alice. `It goes on, you know,' the Hatter continued, `in this way:-- "Up above the world you fly,Like a tea-tray in the sky.Twinkle, twinkle--"'-- Chapter 7, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Just like the Mad Hatter's song, we want you to create something that twinkles or shines; bats are optional! Think bling, metal, glitter, mirror card; the possibilites are endless! Some of the design team will be using some very unusual Alice-inspired designs. Just like you dress up for Halloween and take on another persona, these racy images have Alice and other characters all grown up and taking a walk on the wild side!

Our sponsor this month is Smeared Ink, home of edgy, wild and fun designs in rubber and digital forms has released a Wonderland Collection; images are available individually or as a set. The randomly-chosen winner of this month's challenge will receive a $15 shopping spree in their online store.

Smeared and Smudged is an online community of rubber stampers and crafters who enjoy using alternative, gothic, edgy, and unique stamps in their designs. We thrive on different and unusual. We welcome the macabre and devious side of things, and most of all, we embrace ALL types and styles of art. Whether or not you “come to the dark side”, your creations should be a reflection of you. At Smeared and Smudged, the most important thing is being yourself. There are lots of ways to interact with the community! [ Ning Community | Challenge Blog | Facebook Group ]

Enter your project by Friday, October 25 for a chance at the shopping spree. As always, multiple entries are encouraged (after all, this is a monthly challenge) but each entry must be on a separate post. All projects that meet the challenge criteria are welcome, but entries that feature Wonderland will have two chances with each project entered instead of one.

Your Weekly Inspiration

Bonnie McLain of Love Light and Peace made this wonderful paper pumpkin. The detail is amazing with ridged sides, leafy stem and curling vines! But this pumpkins is hiding a secret. . .

Each side lifts up to showcase a different Smeared Ink illustration. Come closer. . .

There is plenty of glitter and shine on this Smeared Ink Alice image! Bonnie has gone with neon bright colors to celebrate the Halloween season!

I love the retro coloring on this fun cheeky Smeared Ink Cheshire Cat image. Bonnie carefully cut the eyes so the light inside can shine through, just look how the cat's eyes gleam! Be sure to visit Bonnie's blog to see the Queen of Hearts and Mad Hatter panels, she has done a lovely job!

Tracy Evans created this 8 x 8 inch card using a variety of images. Love the color scheme, and there are lots of metal and shiny elements for the challenge.

I love the skulls, and the orange ones (they look like Jack-O'Lantern skulls) with their golden bling eyes are the perfect touch!

I love Alice's hat, and the various die cut bats are a great touch. The Mad Hatter's song is included on the orange panel, love that! Be sure to visit Tracy's blog to leave her a comment on this lovely creation!

Enter your project by Friday, October 25 for a chance at the shopping spree. PLEASE include your name or blog name in the TITLE. This helps me enormously when it comes time to had out the honorable mentions! (Note: if you are viewing this post in a reader or email, please click on the title of the post to go to the blog to see the entries or submit a project.)
NOTE: Sorry this post is a day late. I had a lot of problems trying to do my first post on the iPad using Blogger in Safari. I would love some tips, the Blogger forms were giving me fits as the compose view was not supported and this is a lot to do in code. If you know of any way to use Blogger effectively on the iPad, please share!

Please leave a comment before you go!

Cheryl Baker's Altered Spool

Featured Artist: Cheryl Baker
Blog: Cheryl's Creative Cards & ATCs
Location: United Kingdom - Norwich - Norfolk

Cheryl first came to my attention when her submission to the Oh, Alice! teabag folding challenge caught my eye! One of the advantages of my being on the Oh, Alice! Challenge Blog design team is that I get to see all kinds of intreresting Alice creations. Cheryl is a great follower of The Altered Alice and you will see her kind comments on most posts!

Cheryl received some Graphic 45 Hallowe'en in Wonderland paper as an early birthday present, but I would say that we are all the benefactors of her birthday gift as we enjoy one of her lovely creations! Decorated spools (Cheryl refers to them as "poles") are a growing trend in altered art and I thought this one was very worthy, take a look! Click on any image to enlarge:

Great things can come from humble beginnings! Cheryl began with a kitchen towel roll core (paper towels for us Yanks) and two CDs! She covered these with beautful patterned papers. The base holds a tiny "Drink Me" bottle, a small key and a teabag folded flower.

On top we see the first of many flowers made from teabag folding. This one is centered with a lovely shank button, I think I have that same button on my jeans, LOL!  There are punched and embossed leaves, but notice how Cheryl used the sheet she cut the leaves from as a stencil and sponged some leaves onto the paper covered CD. She added circular motifs punched from the Wonderland paper.

Die-cut wings extend from either side of the top of this flight of fancy!  A touch of steampunk is added with all the different kinds of chains dangling from the edge, secured to the top CD in all differnt ways including string and jump rings. At the ends of the chains we see another teabag flower and a charm that might be made from an Idea-ology fragment charm; I love this softly colored vintage Alice image! We see the Mad Hatter proclaiming from the top of the pole and the Cheshire Cat is curled up at the bottom.

The Mad Hatter is swinging on his chain. Love the way the petals of the teabag flower echo the hours on the clock face.

The White Rabbit is represented by the "You're LATE!" sentiment tied to a steampunk gear.

I find the fall colors of this piece so warm and appealing. I love the mix of different types and scale of patterns. But the thing that appeals to me most is how the mixture of all these wildly different elements work together to make such an interesting whole. We have lovely teabag folded flowers with softly scalloped edges centered by pretty buttons, then we have steampunk chain and gears. We have a lovely vintage Alice charm and a piece of angular hardware labeled FOOD in a very bold, industrial font. Some things are connected by smooth polished jump rings and others are tied on with string.  It is this pull of opposites that balances this altered spool into a fabulous whole! WONDERful WONDERland creation, Cheryl!

I hope you have enjoyed Cheryl's altered spool as much as I have! Please visit Cheryl's blog and leave her a comment and see some of her other creations, many of which feature Alice in Wonderland! Cheryl always leaves me wonderful comments and calls me Hun, so it will be fun to send some love her way. And please leave a comment here for me before you go!