Halloween! She's a Coming!

Well that time of year all we papercrafters love is just around the corner.  Can you believe that this coming Saturday is the 1st of September?  I have a project I made that I wanted to share with you.  I am a follower of Jim, the Gentleman Crafter's blog and people I have to tell you his genius knows no bounds.  And he's such an all around nice guy.  If you like this he has a sort of tutorial in two parts on his blog.  I urge you to visit him and see his amazing creations.  He's on the Graphic 45 design team this year and the paper used in my project is all from the G45 Happy Haunting collection.  You begin with a paper mache round box and go from there.  There's a little final on the lid with a rather frou frou ribbon tassel.  The lid comes off and inside is a little halloween tree, a bat, the fence and a cut out of a halloween figure holding her pumpkin and cat.  What makes this so special and you cannot see is that in the back is a small battery operated flicker light which you can buy at all the craft stores.  In a darkened room it looks positively cool with the light flickering and showing off the bat and cutout!  There's a nother lid used for the base and some wooden pieces make up the feet (as well as the top finial.)  I made two of these in one day.  Gathering all the supplies takes longer than actually doing it.  Jim's directions are very good.  Hope you enjoy it!

A Fall Thank You

I'm not sure how I like this card.  Ever been making a card and nothing seems to fit with anything else.  The scrap of designer paper went with the SU cardstock base and with the Copic colors of the pitcher of leaves but then getting the "something else" I need was elusive!  I finally settled on a Spellbinders Fancy Tags Three with the PTI Autumn Abundance saying on top with a label punch.  The pitcher of leaves is also from the same PTI set.  This little stamp set is wonderful for coloring.  I detail embossed the stamp after stamping it so coloring would stay in the lines.  Just a tip!  Have a good one!

Hoo Hoo Steampunk Owl!

I treated myself in the past week to a few new goodies.  The Steampunk Owl stamp from Stampendous was one of them.  He was so much fun to color in with my Copics.  The solid cardstock is SU and the designer paper is G45 Steampunk Debutante.  I added a few TH gears.  The sentiment is from PTI's set Autumn Abundance which is a beautiful fall stamp set BTW.  The little bling he is sitting on is a new product for me.  It's called Fragments and is a combination of mica-like pieces and glitter.  Lots of shine.  You just squeeze out a good thick glob of glue and push the pieces into it.  When dry, you shake off the excess.  This color was Tea Dye.  I also purchased a small bottle of one called Trick or Treat that is orange, black and white.  Can't wait to use it.  Hope you enjoy the card and that you're staying cool.  It is sweltering here in MD this weekend.  Good for creating inside! 

How many zeros is that??

Just wanted to pop in and thank everyone for helping me to hit 60,000 hits on my blog.  I know it's not a lot compared to some "famous" papercrafting blogs but it means just as much to me as a number in the millions.  Working on some halloween things coming soon!  Thanks everyone!

The Triple Crown....

Yes ladies and gents, three posts in one day! I think I see snowflakes out there.....nah.  Anyway, the story on this card is thus:  Background papers and Basic Black and white from SU.  The red is also SU Real Red.  I used the TH Brick embossing folder on it and then distressed the embossing with Vintage Photo ink.  The door was cut from Memory Box's Madison door.  The little sentiments were punched with the SU labels punches.  The sentiments and the wonderful bunting are from the Patriotism on Parade stamp set by Flourishes. The trees were cut from  the evergreen stamp from In The Meadow stamp set by PTI.  I cut two at a time from Handsome Hunter Green and Garden Green, then cut the two whole trees in half and layered them on with dimensionals so that they were slightly offset.  I also "pounced" the top layers with Handsome Hunter for a little texture.  I'm really happy how this turned out and even though the 4th is gone, it's never out of style to be patriotic (uh, well, lately the administration discourages it and we all know what to do about that, don't we????  Hint: November!!!)  I hope you like all the cards today.  I had great fun but now the menfolk around here want dinner.  The maid is off today but I have some great leftover roast, corn on the cob and fresh string beans.  They'll have to settle. 

The Other Half.....

You know.....you get two A2 card backgrounds from one piece of cardstock.....so here's what I did with the second piece.  I know, I know......two posts in one day....must be gonna snow right?  So here we have another piece of the Island Indigo cs with the Hello Doily stamp in Versamark and detail white embossing powder (so much fun!) and I added a Recollections flower with some of the Cottage Fern die cuts behind it.  The saying is again from the SU Blessings From Heaven stamp set.  Well, I think that's it for me today......but you never know!  Enjoy!

Cooler.......at long last!

We are finally experiencing some more temperate weather than the 13 straight days of 100 or higher here in Maryland.  Whew!  I was inspired to make this card by one I saw on Pinterest and I failed to capture the name of the original cards maker.  I used SU Island Indigo cardstock and created the fancy border with the Martha Stewart Spiral Arches deep edge punch.  I highlited that with a little bling in the way of Stickles dots.  The rose was stamped with the  Fifth Avenue Floral stamp using Versamark and white detail embossing powder on a scrap of SU Designer Paper.  I then colored with TA DA--the new Tim Holtz Broken China marker and used his waterbrush to spread the color around.  This was my first time using the markers.  I mounted the rose on dimensionals and tucked some Memory Box floral die cuts behind it and the sentiment is from SU Blessings From Heaven.  I'm really loving this set of stamps.  It looked fine but at the last minute I added some dots of white with an Inkessentials white opaque pen and I think that made it!

Hope you are staying cool and comfortable where you are and using the indoor time to get a little creative.  Works for me!

The Window Box

I recently purchased the Madison Door, Small Window and Window Box dies from Ellen Hutson.  I'm still waiting on the shutters.  These dies cut so nicely and when I saw this card on Pinterest I had to case it.  I don't think I did as good a job as the original card maker on the brick background.  I used the Tim Holt Brick embossing folder and highlighted the embossed area with some Cajun Craze, Cherry Cobbler and a little Vintage Tea Dye.  The window and box were cut from scraps as were the flowers.  I highlighted the flower centers with some perfect pearls.  The flowers and foliage were all cut from Martha Stewart punches.  I really like this card and I think I'll make more as it's sort of an all occasion card.  Have a happy fourth tomorrow and stay cool.  We're sweltering here on the East Coast!

Military Patriotism

I am resurrecting these older cards of the military uniforms which I made a couple years back because I think now, more than ever, we need to not forget what the men and women who wear these uniforms have done for our country, past and present.  On the top row of course are the marine and army dress uniforms and the navy is at the bottom.  I didn't have one for the Air Force, sorry guys.  I have career military people in my family and my husband served in Viet Nam so I feel very strongly about their contribution to our safety and freedoms.  I hope you feel the same.  I am entering these as a single entry on this week's challenge at Joan's Gardens.  The cards were to be red, white and blue, have stripes, and tags (I am interpreting the tags as the insignia on the uniforms.  The Marine one is particularly special.)

Little MS Flower

I know, I know, it's been an awful long time.  I had a little guilt trip everyday I didn't post.  Just so much going on at home, dealing with a bad back and a "still bad" shoulder.  Now the dog has to have surgery next week.  Please say a prayer his little lumps are benign.  I don't think I could handle it otherwise.

Popping in today to share with you a new little MS Punch called Embroidery.  What I did to make the little flower was punch three of these.  The bottom one is flat, the next layer is curled up a little and the top one I cut one section out of the circle and glued the ends causing it to really pop up a little....kind of like you do with the Tim Holtz roses.  I glued all three together and added a pearl brad in the center.  I think you could add a fourth layer by cutting out two sections from the circle.  I also tipped the edges with Tim Holts Iced Spruce Distress Ink.  I thought it made a cute little flower.  I hope you think so too.  Enjoy!

Spring Has Sprung, Can Summer Be Far Behind?

Here's a few shots of my garden.  Pots are taking off very well and annuals are just getting started.  My children all gave me plants and flowers for Mother's Day and that was A-OK with me.  Aren't the hanging baskets gorgeous?  I love gardening.....it's not just a hobby.  It's peace, contentment and solace for me.  Hope you are making beautiful the place where your heart resides!

The Middle Child

I recently worked on this scrapbook page showing my middle daughter, Sara, at age 5 and then all grown up in her twenties.  I'm not the world's best scrapbooker and I usually CASE someones page style or design but this I just winged it all on my own.   I'm happy with how it turned out.  I made all of the flowers and leaves but the large one just off-center of the center rose.  The bling was from Recollections and I split it into three pieces.  The clock is Dusty Attic as is the crown on Sara at 5.  The grown up crown is Tim Holtz.  Will be spending lots of time in the garden in the next week getting in some more perennials and herbs and my annuals if the weather warms up some.  Hope you are enjoying good weather where you are!

50Quilt, Sewing, Clay, and Painting and Craft Books for Sale

I thought I'd let you know that I just posted about 50 books in excellent condition on Craigslist Baltimore under books.   They are $5 each plus shipping unless you can pick them up.  Some really nice ones.  If you are looking for something, let me know.  Thanks.

Third and Final Entry....

Followers of my blog might remember this scrapbook page I did for my mother awhile back. I made the large peach flower( with the Tim Holtz vintage flower die) to the right of the lower right corner of the frame and many of the little roses were made with the Sizzix mini rose die.    So I decided to enter this as well in Joan's Gardens challenge.

Designer's Challenge

Also entering this older card in the Designers Challenge on Joan's Gardens.  This rose was made with the Tim Holtz flower die and the mini rose from Sizzix.  Got my fingers crossed!

Designers Challenge

I am posting this card to the Design Challenge this week at Joan's Gardens.  It's one of my favorite cards and fulfills the challenge requirements that the project have a flower made from punches or dies.  Wish me luck!

Friday the 13th----Second Post!

Just two quicky little cards I made to start replenishing my card box which is very low. Made mostly from scraps. Have a great weekend!

MS Punch Around the Page

Just quickly sharing a card I made with an MS Punch Around the Page punch I discussed in a post previously. The background on this card is Blushing Bride and the punch was stamped continuously on Whisper White. The sentiment is from SU Thoughts and Prayers and the flower and leaves are Recollections. The flower center I think is a K&Co embellishment. I hope the weather is looking as good where you are as it is here this weekend. Up to 80 by Monday they say. Let me out in the garden......woo hoo!

Happy Easter!

Just wanted to wish everyone a very happy and blessed Easter!