Too Cute to Spook

I was playing with what's on my table before Halloween.  Honestly how does a onesie, a scrap of green stars and a spider web become a card?  But I know someone for whom this was their first Halloween and their daddy is a Halloween baby himself so I could get away with it.  I just love that I was able to find a tiny skull stamp to fit on the onesie.

Stamps:  onesie from Stampin' Up, skull from MFT, sentiment from WaltzingMouse
Dies: spiderweb from MFT, rectangle from Spellbinders

Fab-Boo-Lous Night

I'm working on clearing off my desk.  I know it never works but often I prefer to use the bits I find on my desk rather than clean it off.  Why I had a random Halloween sticker out, I have no idea but I love making Halloween cards.  I now have quite a stash and I'm thinking I might send out Halloween cards this year instead of Christmas cards.  I have more time at the beginning of October than the end of November when I'm trying to finish off report cards.  What do you think, would people find it strange to get a "Halloween letter" instead of the traditional one?

Stamps:  My Favourite Things Spooky sentiments - retired

Paper:  Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Graphic 45 DP

Technique:  Heat embossing of the sentiment

Batty For You and a Request to Help My School

* Please Vote for My School *
My school is attempting to win a $5,000 Natural Pod classroom.  We could very much use your votes.  Please consider going to Natural Pod's Contest Facebook Page and scroll half-way down the page.  In the search button type LIU.  This is the name of the teacher who entered.  Hit the green vote button.  The image should look like this...

It will ask you to confirm the vote by email but you DO NOT need to sign up for any advertising or like on Facebook.  Thank you so much in advance!

Back to my card...

I had so much fun making yesterday's shaker that I had to make another one.  I found bat sequins in my stash.  The funny part is the layout the purple and the green are the same as yesterday's card but it's so different.  The sentiment was one Waltzing Mouse.  I love their Halloween sets.  The paper was some old freebie that I've had for years.  Everything was made from scraps that were left on my table.  I seriously hope DH finishes Dare Devil soon or I will be over-run with Halloween cards.


Challenges This Card Meets:
Clear it Out - Anything Goes with a Stash Twist of Anything Goes
Loves Rubber Stamps - Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
Glitter N Sparkle - Anything Goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - Anything Goes for May
Just Add Ink - Sketch

The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

I think DH's TV selection is affecting my creativity.  He's been watching Dare Devil while I'm crafting and I've been making a lot of pirate and Halloween cards recently.  All that darkness must be getting to me.  At this rate, I'll have more Halloween cards than Christmas cards.

The rick rack was part of this week's tutorial challenge on MFP's Speedy Fox and Friends.  It's a great way to use up all those 1 inch strips that seem to float in my scrap pile.  I work diligently on my scrap pile.  I don't know why it keeps growing instead of shrinking.  I really wish my pretty DP would have babies in the middle of the night instead of my mangy scraps.

Stamps:  MFP's Witchie (image and sentiment)
Punches: Martha Stewart - bat and witch 
Paper:  Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Elegant Eggplant, Wild Wasabi, and white scraps
Ink:  Memento Black Soot, Versafine Black for the sentiment
Techniques:  Ric rac, colouring with copics, sponging

Challenges this Card Meets:
4 Crazy Chicks - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Crafting From the Heart - Anything Goes
Love to Scrap - Anything Goes

Witch Way?

Oops, I did it again... I pulled out all my new stamps to play, and ended up making a card from old stash.  I do love this old Witchie Bella though.  Isn't she fun?  I love purple witches instead of black.  I used my old spider web embossing filer and I ran it through twice to get the webs.  The patterned paper is some old CM paper.  The sentiment is new.  It's my Waltzingmouse Halloween sentiments.  I love this set.  I'm thinking of sending Halloween cards this year instead of Christmas cards.  I have more time to write in October.  Do you think anyone would care?  I used some dark pearls on the chipboard and some purple jelly dots just for fun.  I'm glad this worked out so well.  I've had this layout in my head for about 2 weeks and I had to cut her out at an angle because she was pre-stamped for me so close to the edge of the paper.  I'm still using up images that people stamped for me when I was pregnant and couldn't stamp.  My babies are now in school!

Challenges this Card Meets:
Crafty Calendar - Add a Sentiment
Hiding in my Craft Room - Free Style
Suzy Bee's Blooming Challenge - Anything Goes as long as you use a die cut
Chocolate, Coffe and Cards - Use die cuts
Kitty Bee - Fantasy/Fairy Tale (The wicked witch of the west)
Sister Act - Anything Goes
Throwback Thursday - Anything Goes with a retired stamp
Everybody Art - Use Pearls

The Great Pumpkin

It's funny, a few years ago, scene cards like this used to intimidate me.  Now I find enjoy the inky mess they make.  I started by penciling in the fence by hand.  I then stamped my pumpkin from MFP's Witchie set.  Afterwards, I masked the pumpkin and drew in the fence lines.  The moon is a punched circle.  I then started sponging my background.  The grass is Old Olive and Always Artichoke.  The sky is sponged in Pacific Point and Old Navy.  The one thing that I learned about sky scenes is strangely, they are more realistic when they have other colours than just blue or black.  In this one I added Blush Blossom and Cameo Coral along the horizon.  To keep the moon from being too stark, I added Sahara Sand with a little Memento Tuxedo Black. The fence and the pumpkin was then coloured with Copics.

I'm using this card for my entry for Speedy Fox and Friends challenge.  This week we are making scene cards with a fence.  It was fun.  Hope you'll play too.

The Witch is In

This week's Sketch with a Twist is to make a Halloween card.  When I saw this new set from MFP's called Witchie, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it.  This card is going to my teaching partner.    She likes to joke that I cackle instead of laugh and my inner witch is close to the surface this time of year.  Of course I always dress as a witch to school for Halloween so that might have something to do with it.  My costume is quite elaborate with spider cocktail rings, large spider earrings, boots, web a lace shawl with spider brooches to hold it in place.  I just know she'll get a kick out of this.

This is one of those cards where it seemed so simple in my head but the paper piecing got away from me.  The patterned paper seemed awesome for the dress but all the details were lost because it was so dark so then I started paper piecing in the blue to layer on top.  Wow, that was more fussy cutting than I was originally planning but I do like how it turned out.

Challenges this Card Meets:
Artistic Inspiration Challenge - Anything Spooky
Craft Hoarder's Anonymous - Layer it (10 layers deep on the witch's clothes)
Melonheadz Friends - Halloween

Believe in the Magic of Halloween

I really wanted to play with this fortnight's Waltzing Mouse sketch challenge.  These challenges are hard for me because I have a total of 4 completely non-related stamp sets from them.  It takes a bit of creativity to participate.  I think I nailed it here.  I used three small images from Wanda's Pantry but I struggled with the bat because it is part of a larger medallion stamp.   I had to completely mask the medallion part with masking tape, ink everything up, rip off the masking tape quickly to ensure the ink didn't dry and then stamp the bat without getting ink from my fingers (masking tape, remember) on the paper.  It took more tries than I care to admit.  I still needed one more image so I used the mouse from Twas the Night before Christmas.

That part was fantastic, then I started sweating over the sentiment.  Love Potion Number 9 wasn't going to cut it.  Thankfully I was inspired by the "Believe in the Magic" sentiment, even the font matched.  Yeah!  The washi tape was a bit of an afterthought.  The sentiment was a bit small and it helped to balance out the top heaviness of the card.

Who'd have thought you could mix Christmas and Halloween so perfectly?... well, other than Tim Burton, of course and I don't claim to be anywhere near that good.

Challenges this Card Meets:
Waltzingmouse Fanatics - Sketch
The Cheerful Stamppad - Use Embossing Powder (on the sentiment and all images)
The Crafty Bloggers' Network - Use Diecuts and Embossing
Amusing Challenges - Anything Goes
Challenges for Everybody - Anything Goes
Quirky Crafts - Something Starting with S (stars)
Sentimental Sundays - Clean and Simple
Paper Crafting Challenges - No Patterned Paper
Sweet Stampin - No Patterned Paper

Frankenstein

This was such a fun challenge this week.  I played a bit fast and loose with the challenge, making Frankenstein instead of a traditional tag but I just couldn't help myself.  Our twist this week is Halloween.  I don't have any Mark's Finest Papers Halloween images so I decided to play with sentiments.  The "Friend" came from the Winter Crocuses set.  The "Good was a mash up of 3 words.  The "G" is from a birthday set.  The "oo"'s are from Country Charm and the "d" is from "Dogwood Blossoms."  Normally I wouldn't mash fonts like this but for Frankenstein, it just works.

Frankenstein is made with a Label Nestie and I then fussy cut the hair.  The nose is a leaf die that I then distressed the edges.  I hand drew the mouth and added googlie eyes.  The idea is not an original.  I've seen hand-created Frankenstein's on Splitcoaststampers in the past.

I just love that this is a fun card without any scare factor.  I am thinking of saving this for the neighbours who have small children.  Who can be scared of this face?

Crafty Catz - Man's or boy's card
Oldie but a Goodie - Dies and Punches
Send a Smile for Kids - Halloween
Use it Tuesday - Friendship

A Natural Witch

I had such a wonderful afternoon.  After the DS's got up from nap, the three of us coloured together for about an hour.  I love that they will craft with Mommy.  My eldest drew a picture that we are going to have made into a set of cards for grandma.

The image in this one is a Tiddly Inks by Stamping Bella that I just adore.  I tried playing with Sketch Saturday but I'll be honest, while I have all the elements, things have been shuffled around a bit.  I can't seem to follow a sketch to save my soul.

The card is part of my Hope You Can Cling To challenges as my Monster Mash inspiration.

Challenges this Card Meets:
Cupcake Crafts - Two's Company
Creatalicious - Halloween
Oldie but Goodie - Inspired by Song - Witchy Woman
Papertake Weekly - All Creatures Great and Small - Witch's Familiar in her lap
Sketch Saturday #229
Stamping with the Dragon - Halloween
Stamptacular - Boo-tacular

Season of the Witch

Here's a card that I've been thinking about for a couple of days.  I decided I wanted to try one of Michelle Zindorf's tutorials.  I tried her Graveyard Tutorial because I liked the colour of the night sky.  She writes wonderfully clear tutorials with great photographs.  It was easy enough to follow, although all my work was done with sponging since I don't have a brayer.  I also substituted Distress Inks for Stampin' Up colours when I was close enough since my little spots just are not that juicy.  I do need more practice with the technique but am really happy with the end result.  I would do a darker green for the ground next time since I think the "land" is a bit soft and fades into the horizon. 

The sentiment, witch and pumpkin are from Inkadinkadoo's "All Hallow's Eve" and the tree was from Mark's Finest Papers' "A Walk in the Woods."  The bats are a Martha Stewart punch.  I had really wanted to add my new rickety fence stamp with a little black cat but I couldn't find it.  Isn't that so frustrating when you know you have the perfect accent and simply can find it to use?

The card itself is quite large, 5.25 * 7.5 inches.  I was trying to keep it 5 x 7 but I didn't like  the way the tree and pumpkin looked like they were floating so I added the banner.  

Here's the inside of the card.  I normally don't decorate the interior but since this is such a large card, it definitely needed something.  These images are also from "All Hallow's Eve."

Challenges this Card Meets:
Speedy TV's Sketch with a Twist - Use Primary and Secondary Colours Colours
Stamping with the Dragon - Fall Colours
Stamptacular Sunday - Less is More

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Everyone else is working on Easter and visions of Halloween are floating through my head.  Actually it was the sketch from Bellarific Friday that inspired me so I pulled out the Bellas I have pre-stamped.  This one is one of my favourites, that and Cosmobella.  I'm still working on my stash reduction so all the paper are scraps.  I know the DP is Bo Bunny but it's several years old now.  The sentiment was sticking to my Halloween bag so I don't know where it came from.  The flower was made from one of DH's science fiction books and mentions aliens - Bonus!

Challenges this Card Meets:

Simon Says - Anything Goes

Alien Invasion

Bonus points to anyone that can identify the movie quote I used.  I think my warped sense of humour got the best of me again.  The card is for DH who loves anything related to science fiction.  I couldn't help myself.  I saw the alien image and I was itching to get to my computer to get a good quote.  I was surprised at how hard it was to find a PG quote.  Quotes from the Aliens movies were not ones I wanted on my mantel.

The image is from Rick St. James, who is our sponsor this week at For Fun Challenges.  He has some amazingly detailed images.  Our winner will get the images used by our design team this week.  Our challenge is anything Halloween this week.  Aliens count don't you think?

Hope you'll come play too!

Are You my Mummy?

I really enjoyed this week's challenge at For Fun.  I received this fantastic Magical Tidbit House from our sponsor, Bugaoo and it makes such a fantastic jumping point for all sorts of Halloween cards.  And I'm sure you've all noticed how much I love Halloween by now!  The card fits a standard business envelope and I think the change in canvas size was part of the fun.  I also pulled out some of my own stamp images, my poor neglected stamps.  My images would probably have looked better stamped in versa fine but I used Night of Navy to fit in with this week's challenge of Halloween with no black, orange or purple.  The windows are lit with a thin line of red and then three shades of yellow to give the warm glow.  No orange used!  It's hard to see but I also used a soft yellow on the outside of the moon and stars to represent their glow.

Hope you will be able to join us this week!

Boo!

Can you tell I love Halloween?  I sometimes send more Halloween cards than Christmas cards.  I can write them before report card season so I often get them out early.  This card was very simple but lots of fun to make.  I used one of Meljen's freebies and printed it 3 times.  One as a test, then I taped my pumpkin card to it to print directly on the pumpkin shape.  I printed it a third time with a thick sheet of white for my ghosts and cut them out and adhered them on top of the pumpkin.  I finally printed the image a fourth time onto some gold cardstock for the BOO stars.  So cute and with lots of green bling, I know it will be well enjoyed.  Perhaps I could use it as my "You've been BOOed card this year!"  with a treat of goodies.

This card fits this week's theme at For Fun Challenges.  We're using pumpkin, but not jack-o-lantern images.  I love any excuse to use my pumpkin Spellbinders.  Meljen's is very generously giving our winner 4 images of their choice.  Hope you'll join us!

Are you a good witch or are you a bad witch?

Sorry, couldn't help myself with the title.  The image is Witch Carly from Di's Digis, our sponsor for this week's challenge at For Fun.  I loved colouring this image.  I chose blue since I don't like to see girls in black.  All my witches are green, purple or blue.

This is in fact my second card for For Fun's challenge this week.  You can see yesterday's card here.  Our challenge this week is to use leaves as a focal point in our cards.  This card couldn't get much more leafy. I really do hope that you will join us!

Haunted Pumpkin

Today's challenge at For Fun is to focus on Fall leaves.  I think I've gone a bit overboard but it was a lot of fun.  The adorable image is from this week's sponsor, Di's Digis.  Her images were so cute, you'll get to see a second card I did for this challenge tomorrow.  The image is coloured with copics.  The base is SU's Pumpkin Pie - perfect, don't you think?  The DP is from Graphic 45's Halloween in Wonderland pack.  I love all the papers but I admit I will be making Halloween cards until kingdom come in order to use it all up.

Witching You a Happy Halloween

I just love this image from Di's Digis and was so glad that this week's theme at For Fun Challenges fits.  The topic is children at play - Halloween and costumes are certainly that, at least for my little ones.  I chose to colour my little witch in purple because I don't really like kids in black.  The base is from my Costco stack.  The strips are from my Graphic 45 Halloween in Wonderland stack.  I had to have it last year and this is the first time I've even touched it!  The sentiment is from Inkadoo's All Hallow's Eve set.  I then rounded it off with some purple bling - I can't believe I had matching bling in my stash.

I hope you'll join us this week!


Additional Challenges This Card Meets:
Creative Card Crew - Anything Goes
Do You Stack Up - Friendly Critters (Witch's Familiars - Bat, Frog and Cat)
Everybody Art - Autumn
Lexi's Creations - Autumn
Mark's Finest Papers - Bring on the Bling
Paper Sundaes - Sketch
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
Stamp Something - Use a Digi

Happy Halloween

I love it when "mistakes" work out so well. I was trying to make a Halloween base to go with the card I had made for yesterday's post. This one just wasn't balancing. The image was too large. That's what I get for working backwards. I had started with punching the goo. I just love that punch and will use any excuse to pull it out. That's probably why I make so many Halloween cards. So despite the fact I don't normally care for the DP used and was just using up a scrap, I was really happy when I found the sentiment sticker in my stash and it fit the empty black space perfectly. Yeah me!

Harry Potter's Shelf

This is my second attempt at this card. I love this image and had it all coloured and cut out but when I attempted to add a base, it just didn't balance properly. You'll see the base made into a card in my next post.

The image is from this week's sponsor at For Fun Challenges. You really should play. Bugaboo is generously giving the winner 7 digis of their choice. Bugaboo has so many wonderfully funny images. I love some of their sentiments.

Our challenge is to make a card with only one fold. Not a hardship for me. Most of my cards are the standard 4.25 x 5.5 inches. This one is a 5.5 inch square; I'm living dangerously. I really do hope you'll join us!