DS73 & ISSC38: Sparkly Spider Trails to you!

I'm getting so excited for Halloween! I liked the look of two similar sketches this week, the first is from the sketch on Deconstucting Jen's blog:

   

The other is from a new blog I've discovered called iSpy Sketches:

With these two in mind, I created my card. I wanted to use the little witch on her pumpkin from Greeting Card Kids before Halloween went by because it's the cutest image. I've been trying to incorporate the use of my Simply Scored tool a little more in my card making, and look at what I came up with...

My little spiders have left trails of iridescent ice in their path! I created the look of "engraved" paths with my Simply Scored tool, aren't they cute? My spiders are little pearls that I coloured black. Then, I added some legs. I guess they make rather cute and not scary spiders.

And here's my little witch...

I stamped her on watercolour paper and painted her in, then highlighted with markers for a little more definition.

The accent on my greeting is actually a button under the glimmer brad and the little bow.

I tried to capture just how much my spider trails shine in this picture. 

I've only partially decorated the house, but preparations are under way. I have my costume and I read recently that it's supposed to be a full moon on Oct. 31st! ouuuuuh, scary!!!

Stamps: Greeting Card Kids, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink: Basic Black, Perfect Plum, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, Crumb Cake

Paper: Basic Black dsp, Crumb Cake, Pumpkin Pie, and Perfect Plum cardstock, watercolour paper

Tools: Simply Scored, Circles Die #2, XL Scallop Circle, heat tool

Extras: Iridescent Ice embossing powder, Plum Perfect button, black Glimmer Brad, linen thread, pearls, permanent black marker

Have a great weekend!

MDS Gratitude

Here is the final MDS project I did for Thanksgiving. I mounted the central panel on some River Rock cardstock, but keeping just a small edge. I put a small piece of that birch paper I love along the back, but not before using the little hearts border on it. I find I use this little punch most at Thanksgiving, which is strange because I always assumed I'd be using it for Valentine's when I bought it.

Stamps: Autumn Days, Autumn Harvest (digital)

Ink: More Mustard, Cajun Craze, Pumpkin Pie, Early Espresso, Really Rust, River Rock (digital)

Paper: Autumn Spice, Frostwood Lodge

Tools: MDS 2, pinking hearts border punch

Extras: Crumb Cake grosgrain bow (digital), Walk in the Park (bird)

The Autumn Spice designer series paper in the background is textured and so pretty, both sides were so pretty that I allowed the other side to show on the inside. This is my favorite of all the Thanksgiving cards I made.

I'm off to watch a scary movie. I've gotten a bunch of them to get me in the mood for Halloween.

CCMC 221 & HSS 139: Grateful Pumpkin

Here is the card I made following the challenge at Hand Stamped Sentiments which asks for anything Pumpkin!

Once again I'm using MDS for the front panel of the card and I'm using that sketch from Create with Connie and Mary again! It's simple but still fun, love it!

Stamps: Holiday Blitz, Autumn Days, Grateful Heart Thanksgiving (all digital) & Friendly Words jumbo wheel

Ink: More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake (all digital) & Crumb Cake ink pad

Paper: Crumb Cake cardstock

Tools: Jumbo wheel

Extras: Linen thread, More Mustard grosgrain ribbon, Pumpkin Pie satin ribbon, Chocolate Chip wide satin ribbon

I pulled out my jumbo Friendly Words wheel and rolled it along the side of the card and in the inside but kept it tone on tone.

I did colour the stem of my pumpkin in Always Artichoke with the MDS 2 colouring tool, i'm sorta wondering how we made anything without it now.

CCMC 221 & PPA 144: So Thankful

Well, it has been a busy summer and somehow it's already October. What?!? October? There's been moving and all that goes along with moving, but at least we were able to go through a lot of stuff and decide what to keep, what should go, and that in itself feels great.

I've been working on some baby shower projects which I will reveal once finished, and also a lot of My Digital Studio products! Some of the MDS products I made for Thanksgiving and thought I would give you a peek at them. I used the sketch from Create with Connie and Mary since it allowed me a large space to place my MDS work in.

One of the coolest parts about the MDS artwork is that it now allows you colour in/over any stamp (with the MDS 2 upgrade that is!) So I used the new colouring tool on my branch with leaves digital stamp.

Stamps: Autumn Harvest (digital)

Ink: More Mustard, Cajun Craze, Early Espresso (digital)

Paper: Well Worn dsp, Autumn Spice dsp, Frostwood Lodge dsp

Tools: MDS 2

I purchased these fall digital products during the sale Stampin' Up! just had, and I've had great fun playing with my new goodies...see!? I've made it a hybrid project by adding my MDS work to cardstock and highlighting it with various designer series paper.  The challenge over at the Paper Pal Arts has given us the colour palette of More Mustard, Cajun Craze, and Early Espresso to use, so I chose to follow this one as well!

I am IN LOVE with the paper on the largest flag, the birch looking paper. I want it to be a staple but it's from last year's holiday mini so, I'll have to enjoy only what I have. Sigh.

And now I leave you with a picture of Mom's Pecan Cognac Pie, it's to die for! Those are apple pies in the background which I will never ever tire of... I think mom is dying to try to make some new stuff and we keep on asking for the same old thing. In order to accommodate, she made a number of pies/desserts and we were truly spoiled. (There was also a steamed chocolate bread pudding with Grand Marnier and warm chocolate sauce over top-sorry no picture, it's all gone)

Thanks Mom!

I do day

Here is the other card that I made for my friend's wedding. Well, I made it for a friend who was also attending the wedding. 

Stamps: Word Play

Ink: Basic Black

Paper: Whisper White cardstock, non-su iridescent vellum paper

Tools: Framed tulips and polka dot embossing folders, labels collection framelits die

Extras: organza ribbon, rhinestone

Here is a closer view of the ribbon treatment and the perfect place for a rhinestone on top of the ring.

This card is a perfect example of what the Big Shot can do, since most of it cannot be done without it.

Hope your finding ways to enjoy this heat wave, phew!

If there isn't a better way to wake up!?! It's when I wake up to find out that my Blushing Bouquet was in the top 3 at SUO challenges. I only rather recently discovered their challenges and quite enjoy a place that celebrates Stampin Up! products, regardless of whether they are retired or not.

The other entries were all so lovely, you must check them all out. I discover the coolest blogs I never knew existed whenever I check out the work of other challenge entries. So many creative ways of using ribbon, colour, layouts, I actually do get lost in them for hours.

Have a great day and I hope something unexpected pops up into your life and gives you a real smile today too!

SUO 50 & PPA 106: Blushing Bouquet

I have been working on this little project for awhile, fiddling with it here and there in between making cards, but I finally finished it! I had an intended recipient I was going to give it to but their birthday came and went and I hadn't finished the project. It just so happens that my project follows the guidelines for The Paper Players' neat little challenge:

Isn't that a fun idea for a challenge?! I love it! My project falls under the bottom line of the grid: Floral, Ribbon, and Punches.

I also am submitting my little bouquet to the Stampin Up Only's challenge which asks us to use either buttons or brads in our project. Mine uses some sparkly Blushing Bride brads, can you find them?

Stamps: Flower Fest, Tiny Tags, A to Z

Ink: Blushing Bride, Regal Rose, Versamark

Paper: Blushing Bride, Regal Rose, Pear Pizzaz, Very Vanilla, Naturals Ivory cardstock and First Editions dsp

Tools: Blossom Petals builder punch, Boho Blossoms punch, Fancy Flower punch, Jewelry Tag punch, 5 Petal Flower punch, Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer punch, 1/3" circle punch, Itty bitty punch pack, ¾” circle punch, sticky strip, and sticky sheets, dimensionals, iridescent Ice embossing powder, heat gun, snail, glue dots, sponge daubers, Crystal Effects

Extras: pearls, Blushing Bride poly-stitch ribbon, Blushing Bride glimmer brads, vintage trinkets

*non-SU product: styrofoam ball, circular wooden box, straight pins

A little iridescent ice to make it sparkle. The A to Z stamp is used for this sparkle to mimic the words on the other flowers but this picture is too blurry to see it.

Trying out fun things with the Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch (that is now retired...sigh)

Maybe I'll just hang onto it and give it to her next year. First Edition newsprint is by far my favorite paper to work with and I'm so glad to see it in the catalog next year. I have to force myself to work with other papers.

Thanks for visiting. I hope your summer is keeping you nice and busy (but in a good way), just as mine is!