Fall Fest with Glimmer

  The pumpkins have been appearing on porches around the neighborhood the last week or 2.  Our porch is pumpkin free right now but I do have some pretty mums taking center stage.  We learned a number of years ago that carving pumpkins too early in Richmond just leads to a disgusting mushy mess on the front porch.  Pumpkins are on our agenda next weekend so hopefully they will make it the few days until Halloween.

  I'm still having fun with some fall themed cards.  You never know when you'll need a "just because" card.

   I got some mileage out of the Hardwood background on this card.  I stamped it on the card base, then on the tag without reinking and one last time without reinking on the strip of Typeset Specialty DSP.

  The pumpkins, tag and DSP are all sponged along the edges.  I was proud of myself for using up a few scraps of ribbon from my scrap container even if it didn't make a dent at all in it.  Small victories right?

  The layout is from Create with Connie and Mary and the color and glimmer paper sparkle inspiration came from Stampin' Royalty.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Fall Fest, Hardwood, And Many More

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive

Paper: Chocolate Chip, Champagne Glimmer paper, Very Vanilla, Typeset Specialty DSP

Accessories: Chalk Talk framelits, Circle framelits, Fun Fall framelits, gold bakers twine, Very Vanilla taffeta ribbon (retired), dimensionals

Simple Winter Scene

  I put out all of my bird feeders the other day and have been enjoying seeing the birds scurry around the yard. We even had a Carolina Wren which we don't see very often.  Our cardinals are starting to come around as well and they were the inspiration for this simple winter scene.

  I used the layout from the Freshly Made Sketches challenge.  My fellow demonstrator buddy Jennifer Timko designed this sketch so I had to play along.

  I went with some traditional winter colors and kept the scene kind of simple.

 I used the White Christmas set from the Holiday Catalog and used colors pulled from the Trim the Tree DSP stack; Garden Green and Cherry Cobbler.  Can't get more Christmas-y than those colors!

 The Lucky Stars embossing folder was used on the card front for some subtle texture.  Finishing Touches edgelit was used combined with a small strip of the Trim the Tree DSP for the left side of the sketch.

  

  I colored the trees and cardinals with Blendabilities and added some Dazzling Details to the snowy hill.

  The sentiment from Petite Pairs was stamped in Garden Green and then punched with the 1 1/4" circle punch.  A linen thread bow is tied around DSP strip before adhering the sentiment.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: White Christmas, Petite Pairs

Ink: Memento Black, Garden Green  Markers: Blendabilities Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake

Paper: Garden Green, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla, Trim the Tree DSP stack

Accessories: Lucky Stars e.f., circle punches, Finishing Touches edgelit, Dazzling Details, linen thread, dimensionals

Non-Traditional Snowflakes

  I missed out on posting yesterday as I had a sicky sick kiddo at home and we headed to the doctor's office to get him checked out.  Normally I'm not one to rush to the doctor's for something little like a fever and runny nose but when he said it kind of hurt to breathe well that changes the game!  The whole morning schedule was blown apart but he's fine and it's nothing more than a virus.  He should be ship shape by Monday!

  I hope no one feels rushed or anything but I'm going to start posting more Christmas projects!  I know that I felt rushed when I saw the Christmas stuff up in stores back in September.  But I figure for hand made cards and gifts that that there needs to be some lead time for all the creative ideas to come together.

  I used 2 challenges for this card.  The colors come from a new to me challenge site that I stumbled on when doing comments for Fab Friday entries.  The Color Me challenge this week is Island Indigo, Soft Sky and Crisp Cantaloupe...cool right?  The layout is from RetroSketches; always great inspiration there!

  These aren't really what one would think of for Christmas or winter colors but I thought it would be fun to do it anyway.  That's why they're called challenges right?

  The base is Soft Sky with a panel of Whisper White embossed with the Northern Flurry embossing folder.  This piece has actually been sitting in a pile on my stamping desk since last winter...it didn't work on a project then so I set it aside to be used later and it finally made the cut!

  To make the tag I used Whisper White cardstock and the Chalk Talk framelits.  Then I sponged Soft Sky all over with a heavier concentration on the edges.  Next, I stamped the snowflakes from Endless Wishes in Island Indigo and Crisp Cantaloupe.  I added a strip of Crisp Cantaloupe and then layered my tag on top using dimensionals. 

  

  The banner layer was stamped in Island Indigo and then I used my hexagon punch to notch my banner ends.  I did the same with a narrower strip of Island Indigo to go behind the sentiment.

  The embellishment details are a few rhinestones at the top left corner.  Then a fork bow (tutorial here) made out of Whisper White seam binding ribbon.  The last detail is a small Island Indigo button topped with another rhinestone.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Endless Wishes

Ink: Soft Sky, Island Indigo, Crisp Cantaloupe

Paper: Soft Sky, Island Indigo, Crisp Cantaloupe, Whisper White

Accessories: Northern Flurry e.f., Chalk Talk framelits, seam binding ribbon, rhinestones, hexagon punch, button

Washi Tape Background

 I'm digging way back in the vault for this card today.  I held a "What to Washi" class way back in May.  It was fun showing off different projects using the washi tape.  To see the other projects click on these links; Birthday Card and Magnetic Clips and Candle Holders.

  This card is a fun one because you can use the same design over and over and just change up your washi tape to fit the occasion.  The sentiment is fine on it's own or you could have a focal image in front of your washi tape background.  Just think of the cute cards using the new All is Calm Washi tape in the Holiday Catalog to make Christmas cards??

  To  make your background all you need to do is just lay the washi tape diagonally across a piece of cardstock in whatever size you want.  You can leave the ends loose and trim with scissors or just wrap the ends to the back of the cardstock.  Easy Peasy!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Lots of Thanks

Ink: Coastal Cabana

Paper: Baked Brown Sugar, Very Vanilla, Retro Fresh DSP (retired)

Accessories: oval punches, Retro Fresh Washi tape, button, linen thread, ruffled stretch trim (retired), dimensionals

Tiny Treat Jack o Lanterns

 It's the countdown to Halloween now isn't it?  I haven't even started on the boys Halloween costumes yet...they know what they want to be and now we just have to make it happen.

  In the meantime here is a super quick and cute Halloween treat box using the Tiny Treat boxes in the Holiday Catalog.

 I made about 16 of these little guys in no time at all.  The Fall Fest stamp set makes such cute projects!  I put all the faces onto one block and stamped 3 sides of the box as well as the top.

  The pumpkins are stamped with Pumpkin Pie ink and the stem is Old Olive.  The faces are stamped in black just like the ones on the box.  I fussy cut these while watching TV only because I was too lazy to drag the Big Shot downstairs and it was football on TV and you don't really need to watch every second!   But the Fun Fall Framelits are great to use along with this stamp set if you're not into fussy cutting.  

  Once I had my pumpkins cut I added a knot of Natural & Old Olive Two-Tone trim (Holiday catalog) using a glue dot to adhere and then adhered the pumpkins to the front of the boxes with dimensionals.

  I filled the insides with Hershey Nuggets.  Sweet treat!!

  

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Fall Fest

Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Black, Old Olive

Paper: Whisper White

Accessories: dimensionals, glue dots, Tiny Treat boxes, Natural & Old Olive Two-Tone trim

Light Up Spooky House

  Since Halloween will come and go before we know it I thought I better get my last few Halloween themed projects blogged about.

  This one started off as a possible project for my stamp club a few weeks ago.  It didn't make the cut but I did show it at stamp club as an idea to do with the Holiday Home set.

  This project is more of a decoration than a card though it folds flat with little hinges on the inside to keep it open.  

  I used the Circles framlits to cut the large circle in the Basic Black base.  I backed the cut out with vellum and then stamped the tree and bats in Memento ink.  

  The house is embossed in white and then cut out with the Homemade Holiday framelits.  It is adhered just on the edge of the circle with a dimensional.  The ghost is stamped and then hand cut and adhered to the back of the chimney.

  The moon is a small circle of Daffodil Delight with another set of bats stamped toward the edge.

  And here is it all lit up with a battery tea light inside:

  It looks pretty neat when the lights are really dim but it was impossible to capture it with my poor photography skills so you'll just have to believe me or better yet make your own!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Holiday Home

Ink: Versamark, Memento Black

Paper: Basic Black, vellum, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White

Accessories: Homemade Holiday framelits, circle framelits, white embossing powder, dimensionals

Bold Birthday Flower - Fab Friday 52

It's a Fab Friday challenge day!  Woo Hoo!  I know you're excited not only for the weekend, but for our great new challenge!  The other day I was saying that I keep making Halloween cards but don't really have anyone to send them too...well wouldn't you know that our challenge colors this time just scream Halloween.  I decided to really challenge myself and say no to a Halloween card.  What was I thinking?  It was a bit of a struggle to get going but then the elements started to come together.

  The card base is Blackerry Bliss with a layer of Whisper White that was embossed with the Large Polka Dot embossing folder.  It's hard to see in the photo but it's a nice subtle touch that adds extra detail but doesn't compete with the brightness of the flower.

  I went with a big, bold flower for these bold colors!  I am loving the Blackberry Bliss lately and I think it looks wonderful on the big petals of the Flower Patch stamp.  I stamped it twice in BB, once for the biggest part of the flower and then again for the little small center which I cut out with my trusty paper snips.  I stamped it once in Tangelo Twist to make the middle layer also cut with the snips.  I layered all the piece with dimensionals so the flower really pops.

  I created the polaroid style frame and the smaller square sentiment panel using the Square Framelits.  These are also popped with dimensionals.

  The "happy birthday" from Endless Birthday Wishes is stamped with Versamark and embossed with black embossing powder.  That's all the black I've got on my card!

  Here's a look at the layers:

  I added a few rhinestones to the side of the flower and then one to the center.

  I hope you'll join us for this challenge!  Check out the rest of the Fab Friday Design Team projects for some more inspiration...they never disappoint!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Flower Patch, Endless Birthday Wishes

Ink: Blackberry Bliss, Tangelo Twist, Versamark

Paper: Blackberry Bliss, Tangelo Twist, Whisper White

Accessories: corner rounder, Large Polka Dots embossing folder, Flower Fair framelits, Square framelits, black embossing powder, rhinestones, dimensionals

Spooky Halloween Houses

  I keep saying that I don't send out many Halloween cards yet when I sit down in the stamp room I feel like I just keep making more of them!  I guess I will have to find some people to send Halloween cards too!

  Here is my take on the spooky Halloween houses using the Holiday Home set from the Stampin' Up! holiday catalog.  This set is so cute on so many levels!

  The card base is Smoky Slate with a panel of vellum over it.  The vellum is faux stitched around the edge.  The moon is sponged on layering Daffodil Delight and Pumpkin Pie ink.  I just used a circle punch to make a stencil to sponge through.  The bats are stamped right onto the vellum in black.  I added a cloud also cut from vellum.  Isn't it cool that the Word Bubbles framelits can be used for clouds too??  I think the vellum paired with the Smoky Slate gives a kind of foggy night look.

The houses are embossed with white onto Basic Black cardstock and then cut out with the Homemade Holiday framelits.  They are popped up right on top of the vellum with dimensionals.  I stamped and hand cut the little ghosts because you can't have a row of spooky Halloween houses and not included some ghosts!

  Off to make my mailing list for these Halloween cards! 

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Holiday Home

Ink: Versamark, black, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie

Paper: Smoky Slate, Basic Black, Vellum, Whisper White

Accessories: Homemade Holiday framelits, Word Bubble framelits, dimensionals, paper piercer, white embossing powder