Happy Halloween Wishes

Hello friends! We've snuck right up on Halloween and I've just finished the last of my projects! I've been having such a fun time working on all kinds of Halloween projects and since the day is fast approaching, I will just be sharing them all on this one post! I pulled out my Halloween favorites but paired them with some everyday favorites for a unique look this year!

My first stop was the fabric store where I picked up these spooky fabrics which were the starting point for some of the others and then I just got a little carried away! LOL! I'll take you through my design process as well as any tips or tricks I learned along the way! I ended up making 3 of these Flutterby Baskets in total, but I'm only showing 2 of the 3 in this photo. I fell in love with the fabric I used for the bottom portion of each of the baskets and it reminded me of the classic  Just the Ticket stamp set from Papertrey Ink that has been retired. 

I decided to use that stamp set as well as the Just the Ticket Border Die to give these tags that same feel! I had such a joyful creative time making these fun tags! I LOVE vintage Halloween so these are just my cup of tea!

The three baskets were made for my boys' school teachers so I made three tags as well. To begin, I used the Tag Sale: Quilted die to die cut a black tag and then another one using the Halloween Prints Pattern Paper. I adhered them together using a tape runner and then got to work on the other elements used on the tags.

I made the large medallions using the same pattern paper and then added chunky silver glitter to the outside edge using liquid glue. The "31" numbers were die cut using the By the Numbers die collection. I die cut them twice out of black cardstock and then glued them together for stability. Then I added some Nuvo Crystal Glaze and some crystal glitter over the top.

The "halloween wishes" sentiment is from the retired "Spooky Sweets II" stamp set, which I use EVERY year! It's one of my favorites! I also added the cute little carnival Jack-o-lantern which is a sticker from Martha Stewart Crafts that I've been hoarding for a few years now. My sweet sister has given me quite a bit from that fun carnival collection and I just love it so much. Those little stickers inspired my next project! 

As I was lamenting the fact that I REALLY need a stamp company to make a stamp set so I can recreate those cute stickers, I was reminded of the hat card I shared on THIS post. My creative wheels starting turning and I decided to make a large, card version of that little Jack-o-Lantern. I used the Shape Up Series: Pumpkin and the Shape Up Series Pumpkin Sections for the pumpkin part. I die cut the pumpkin pieces using Canyon Clay cardstock and then added some Terracotta Tile ink around the edges of each piece. The pieces for the face are die cut once from Summer Sunrise and once from black to create the same looking face as the stickers. I glued the yellow portion directly to the pumpkin and then added the black pieces using foam squares. The crystal glaze and glitter are added over the top, just like I did for the "31" numbers on the tags.

The hat portion is die cut using the Party Hat Die as well as the Party Hat Trims die. I had to cut it MUCH smaller than the die cut to make it fit. It was a little bit tricky to put together with the smaller size and the poor pumpkins head has a bit of wear and tear under there! LOL!

I made another medallion for the top and in hindsight, it needed to be MUCH smaller, but oh well! I was having so much fun figuring everything out, but if I try this again, I will definitely do it smaller. I added some tickets, the heat embossed "trick or treat" sentiment, which is also from the Spooky Sweets II set. The star sticker at the top is also one of the carnival stickers from Martha Stewart Crafts. I couldn't locate my black crepe paper so I called the local party store to see if they had some. They assured me they did but when I actually got there, they directed me to the "butcher paper". My inner "Karen" was coming out in full force! LOL! I was super bugged and ended up just getting some burgundy crepe paper streamers (because they were out of black, of course!)  I used a running stitch on my sewing machine and gathered it up and then added a bit of black ink around the edges to give it a fun, vintage vibe! It is secured to the bottom of the pumpkin using ScorTape. I added the pumpkin to a top folding black card base using foam squares.

My final projects for today, and for the season, is a trio of spooky houses filled with candy and a tea light! These also went to my boys' teachers along with the fabric baskets filled with a caramel apple from a local chocolatier, a bag of candy and a hand lotion and lip gloss.  I wanted to create an actual scene that would be easy for the kids to transport. You should have seen me in the drop-off line giving them instructions on how to hold everything! LOL!

To begin, I die cut enough pieces to create the three houses using the Tiny Town: Basic Die. I also die cut enough pieces for each house using the Tiny Town: Spookville die. I used liquid glue and got everything put together. I set them aside to dry fully and made the trees and fence using the Tiny Town: Spooky Yard die. 

I glued everything to the green piece that was die cut using the Shape Shifters Oval 1 die. I've used the Shape Shifters before to create a scene, which I just love. The fence went on first and then I added the tree and the house, only gluing the front portion of the house. I decided to try adding black chunky glitter here and there on one house, but I didn't on any of the others. I used the witch from Spooky Sweets II and added the end of her broom to the edge of the chimney. I love how it looks like she is flying over the house! 

Well...this wraps up Halloween 2020! I hope you have a fun and safe holiday! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

Papertrey Ink/Ink to Paper Flash Sale {Happy, Happy Holidays}

Hello friends and happy Monday! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend! I've got a duo of cards to share with you today for this week's Ink to Paper Flash Sale! For this week's sale, I chose a combination of bright, fun colors and a few stamp/die sets to create these two designs! As always, the sale will run from today at noon until Wednesday, October 28th at 4 pm ET.

Stamps: Happy Happy Holidays, It's A Sign: Christmas Bough

INK Mint Julep, Vintage Jadeite, Lemon Tart, Melon Berry, Hibiscus Burst, Lovely Lady, Aqua Mist

PAPER: Mint Julep, Lemon Tart, Melon Berry, Lovely Lady, Hibiscus Burst

Dies: It's A Sign: Christmas Bough dies, Border Bling: String Lights

I made two different cards, but the sentiment is the only difference between the two. I did everything else the same to create these two colorful and sparkly cards!

To begin both cards, I die cut the Border Bling: String Lights die 4 times for the "cord" portion and glued two together for a more sturdy piece! I die cut the "lights" portion twice for each color so I would have enough to go around both cards. I used liquid glue to adhere them to the cord portion.

I cut two panels of Stamper's Select White Cardstock measuring 4 by 5 1/4 inches. I stamped each of the two sentiments from the Happy Happy Holidays stamp set using black ink. I added the "glow" to each of the bulbs by adding some ink using a finger dauber for each color before I glued the border in place. I simply placed it down and lifted it for each color. As you can see, I wasn't being fanatical about getting them placed just right. I think it turned out pretty well! 

Once all of the "glow" blobs were in place, I added the die cut border using liquid glue ONLY on the bulb portion. I wanted to make sure I could tuck the greenery underneath the cord, so that is why I only glued under the bulbs.

Now, I REALLY should have added the Nuvo Crystal Glaze to the bulbs at this point, but I added all of the greenery and berries instead. It made it a little tricky to reach some of the bulbs once the greenery was in place. Oh well....live and learn.

I also colored in the bulbs that are part of the sentiment and the "Holly" portion of the other sentiment using Copic markers. I added Crystal Glaze to the bulbs on this card and glaze and glitter to the "Holly" on the other card.

I also added glitter to the greenery and the berries for some added holiday sparkle and shine!

Each card also got a trio of sparkling clear sequins as well!

The "happy Happy Holidays" card is mounted onto a Hibiscus Burst card base and the "have a Holly Jolly Christmas" card is mounted onto a Lovely Lady card base, both using foam squares for dimension! These will be a fun set to add to my ever-growing stash of Christmas cards! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

Keeping Christmas {Joy}

 

I can't believe it's already the 25th of October! Welcome to this month's installment of the Keeping Christmas Blog Hop! Christmas is two months away, can you believe it? I can't! I'm getting super excited, though! I love getting the house all decorated for Christmas with all of the bright, festive colors and yummy smells! 

I was a guest this week on the Papertrey Ink "Live around 5" and I showed how to make these two cards! I was asked if they would be on my blog, so I decided to just share them here for my Keeping Christmas project for the month! Also, I have the other project I made as well, which is NOT Christmas, but I promised to share it here, so it is at the bottom of today's post! Also, don't forget to hop to the other designers' blogs to see what festive inspiration they have for us today!

 Claire Broadwater

 Lori Tecler

 Nance Salkeld 

 Nina Forsyth

 Marybeth Lopez

 Nancy Penir

 Carol Hintermeier 

So....the card I made DURING the Live at 5 is the one on the left and my sample that I had previously made and shared at the end is on the right. I mentioned that I liked the one with the pink on pink background better, but now I think I like the one with the black better! LOL! 

I'll start with the one I made live and then I'll share the differences between the two as I go along! To begin both cards, I die cut the Border Basics: Rectangle Die out of white cardstock and Pure Poppy cardstock. I used the Border Bling: Joy Frame Die to add the extra detail to the red frame.

I stamped the Holiday Spirit  background onto Pale Peony cardstock using Pale Peony ink. I layered the frame over the top using a tape runner. Once that was done, I added the evergreen boughs which are from the Tree Essentials stamp set. I die cut them from Olive Twist cardstock and then stamped the images using Pinefeather ink. I think they look very realistic stamped like this! I love how they turned out!

I placed them in the two corners using foam squares for dimension. Once they were in place, I added the stamped ornaments from the fabulous Ornament Greetings stamp set which are stamped in Pale Peony, Pure Poppy, and Scarlet Jewel ink.

I couldn't resist adding some extra holiday charm with the holly berries and leaves from the Corner It: Holly stamp set. They add just the right touch, don't you think! I stamped the leaves in Spring Moss with some added shading using a finger dauber and Simply Chartreuse ink. The veins are stamped using Ripe Avocado ink for even more contrast.

The "JOY" word is die cut twice from white cardstock and once from gold paper. I glued them together using liquid glue with a precision tip. I really wanted to create the illusion of the word floating above the foliage and frame. This was achieved by only inking up the portion of the word that touch the greenery. I showed on the Live how sturdy this is, even though it seems like it wouldn't be!

This is the card I made to show as my sample and it has an extra holly leaf at the top as well as the background being stamped in black rather than Pale Peony ink.

I thought that perhaps the black might be too visually distracting, but I think I like the contrast that it adds. How about you? Which one do you like more?

This one has white paint splatter as well, which gives the design some snowy detail. 

Of course some glitter and sequins finish off both designs!

This was the fall project that I shared on the Live. I love using non-traditional colors for pumpkins for something a little bit unexpected.  I used the Tent Style Packaging Die paired with the Hello Pumpkin stamp set to create this fun little gift presentation. 

I used velcro dots to secure the package for ease. I love using dots like this to secure packages like this!

I also created a more traditional one using traditional fall colors. This one has a sprinkling of glitter as well. I had a lot of fun doing the Live, even though I was nervous! ha ha! Thanks for fluttering by!

Pinkfresh Studio {Tidings of Comfort and Joy}

Hello friends! I've got a new holiday design to share with you today using a few of the new Slimline Stencils from Pinkfresh Studio! Thanks so much for all of your sweet comments on my NOEL card I made for the stencil release! I made something similar in feel, but with a spearmint twist! ha ha! I loved the red, pink, and white peppermint look I created on that card, so I thought it would be fun tow switch things up for today's card!

To be honest, I didn't quite know the direction this card was going to take until I got the wreaths cut, inked, and glued together and the letters die cut. I was trying to decide what color to ink up the letters in when I realized how much I loved the look of the crisp white against the green of the wreaths. I decided to go for a trendy farmhouse look, adding in the black stamped houses from the Our Home to Yours. The sentiment is also from that set, and is heat embossed in black onto a strip of vellum.

The wreaths and letters are layered onto the die cut Braided Circles using mini foam squares. I used the Basic Plaid Layering Stencil for the grey layer and the Diagonal Stripes Stencil for the green layer. Once I had those cut and adhered together, I added some white paint splatter for some snowy detail! From there, I added the houses and the sentiment. 

I would normally use an odd number of houses, but the three different groupings create a visual triangle and it seems to work! I had planned on stopping at this point and didn't have a bow. When I looked at it again the next day, I felt it needed a pop of color somewhere and the bow won!

You all know how much I love the Artistic Bows, so this pink addition probably doesn't come as a surprise! ha ha! If you're not into bows, simply omit it to keep with the farmhouse vibe. I added a sprinkling of coarse crystal glitter to the houses and wreaths for shine! Each tiny wreath got a few jewels as well!

With these slimline cards, you could definitely try making a longer word for your card. 

This card was so much fun to make! I hope you'll give slimline cards a try if you haven't yet! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

Papertrey Ink/ Ink to Paper Flash Sale {Sending a little Holiday Sparkle}

Hello and welcome to this week's Papertrey Ink/Ink to Paper Flash Sale! Today's greetings are sent to you from the Barbie Dreamhouse! ha ha! Just kidding...but really, these cards are giving me some serious 80's Barbie vibes, which I LOVE! I was heading in a Sugarplum Fairy direction as my daughter suggested last week! I guess we can just call these "Sugarplum Fairy Barbie cards, does that work? ha ha!

This week's sale will run from Monday, October 19th at 12 noon until Wednesday October, 21st at 12 noon. The sale will include:

Stamps: It's A Sign: Holiday Sentiments stamp set

PAPER: Plum Pudding, Sweet Blush, Lavender Moon, Amethyst Allure, Raspberry Fizz

INK: Plum Pudding, Sweet Blush, Lavender Moon, Amethyst Allure, Raspberry Fizz

Dies: It's A Sign: Holiday Sentiments, It's A Sign: Hanging Frames Stitched Layers, It's A Sign: Hanging Frames Layers, Border Bling Skinny Stitched Frames

To begin both cards, I die cut a BUNCH of the different sized snowflakes and then stamped them using all of the different inks. Some are multi-toned and some are solid colors for some variation. Next, I cut two panels of Linen Cardstock 4 by 5 1/4 inches and added some ink blending here and there using Raspberry Fizz, Amethyst Allure and Lavender Moon ink. I spritzed the panels with water and Shimmer Spray for some sparkle!

I set them aside to dry while I got to work on the sentiments. I used the It's A Sign: Hanging Layers and Hanging Stitched Layers dies for the sentiments on both cards. 

This card uses two of the sentiments. I felt like the "Let it Snow" just wasn't enough for this particular design so I stamped another one of the sentiment below it directly onto the dry panel using black ink.

I added the frames around both panels; this one in Amethyst Allure and the other frame for the other card is Plum Pudding.

After that was done, it was time to arrange the colorful snowflakes here and there, stacking some for added detail and dimension.

I added some jewels to three of the snowflakes on each card as well as a trio of sparking clear sequins. I really wanted these cards to sparkle, especially because of the sentiment on the left card!

I forgot to mention that I added some ink splatter to both panels BEFORE I added the frame, sentiments and snowflakes. I try to do all of the messy work first, if I can, to give it time to dry.

I chose to cut the It's A Sign: Hanging Frames Layers in the same color as the frame on each card for a cohesive feel. I wanted the visual movement to come from the ink blending and snowflakes rather than the sentiment/frame combo. Both focal panels are mounted onto top folding A2 Lavender Moon card bases.

I really loved working with these purple tones for this week's Flash Sale. I always end up by giving someone one of the purple lotions or soaps from Bath and Body Works and I always want a coordinating card, so these will be perfect! Thanks for fluttering by!