Happy Halloween Everyone!!

Stamps: Stamptangle Leaf Flourish - Lg; Stamptangle Leaf Flourish - Sm;  Stamptangle Pumpkin - Lg.; Stamptangle Pumpkin - Sm;  Holiday Variety Word Block

Paper: Club Scrap; Inks - StazOn, Memento Luxe - IMAGINE Crafts/Tsukineko

Hope you have a wonderful Halloween!

Creepy "Dark" Canvas

Well I wanted to make one final creepy "dark" canvas for Halloween this year...I pulled a really great saying from my Halloween page that fit with the dark aspect - 

"Darkness belongs to the dead, the ungodly, and the demons that lurk in our minds."

and here it is....

To find out all the details check out the Altered Pages blog on how it was made and the products used.

Club Scrap Homestead Blog Hop!

Welcome Friends to this month's Club Scrap Blog Hop 

featuring October's Kit...

Homestead

I was so excited when I saw this kit.  It is so hard to find farm related items for adults. Yes, there are all sorts of cutesy farm animals, barns and the like out there but try sellin' that to a couple of 20 something boys and their father. If you've visited my blog much you all know we own a small farm where we raise Hereford cows, make hay and other grain crops (and tractors I think!) which offers up lots of fun photo opportunities.  

I decided to make a photo album for my oldest son for Christmas....I assembled 18 - 5x7" pages (36 individual sides) to fill with all sorts of farm photos.  It's much larger than I initially anticipated but I just seemed to keep thinking of more fun ways to use the papers and stamps.  I then made a front & back cover and bound them all together using my Bind-It All.

Everything in the book was made using the papers and stamps from the kit.  The only extras I used were brown ink, an ink blending tool and my Bind-It All (with wires).  

Here are a few of the lay-outs in the book....

This is the last page of the book...I used the sentiment "Yes, I was raised in a barn." and I'm going to add a photo of him on one of his tractors.  

Here is an aerial view of all the assembled book....  I sure hope he likes it!

My guys aren't the only ones raised in a barn ....

 so was our Gnomie friend.....

He's even chewin' on a stalk of straw.....

which my youngest son tells me I'm not supposed to do -

you could get some sort of toxin from the wheat.

Oh well, Gnomie likes livin' on the wild side ;)

I hope you've enjoyed your stop at my blog 

and

take away a bit of ink-spiration.

Your next stop on the blog is...

Deb Weller

And remember - if you get lost along the way you can find the complete listing of hop participants on the Club Scrap Blog along with lots more fun inspiring ideas!

Have a wonderful day!

Curly Witches Hat Home Decor Tutorial

Trying to squeeze all of the Halloween goodness I can before time is up.  Today I have a Snapguide for you on how to make your own Curly Witches hat made using a knitting cone, muslin and some paint!  

Check out How to Make a Curly Witches Hat - Home Decor by Roni Johnson on Snapguide.

You can add a variety of embellishments to the finished hat to match your Halloween theme or decor.  I have finished this one off 3 different ways....

A simple Halloween design...

A more elaborate design for the discriminating

witch who likes her bling...

And finally a Steampunk Witch...

Gossamer Ghost Winners!!!

Happy Day!

I have the winners of the signed copies of Laura Childs new book - Gossamer Ghost!  Those winners are.....

Scrapthat

ScrapthatOctober 18, 2014 at 10:03 AM

I have always wanted to read one of Laura's books...however my reading in the past years, having a wee one, has pretty much been limited to Pete the cat and giving a Moose a muffin. I always thought it would be fun to do a LO while reading.

ReplyDelete

and....

Bonnie Schulte

Bonnie SchulteOctober 20, 2014 at 7:35 PM

Decorating my table with white pumpkins, orange mums, black cats, real acorns and a few spooks is a fun part of Halloween, and having scary/spooky music playing when the kids come to the door for candy. Plus my memories of my Mother handing out popcorn balls and apples for Tricks and treats, so many years ago, make my Halloweens special today remembering .

Congratulations!!!

Please e-mail me with your snail mail addy.

Wicked Gnome Couple...

Every year a group of bloggers celebrates Halloween by having a month long blog hop each and every day of October featuring a new stamped project each day.  I participated in it last year but knew I wouldn't have enough time this year with the changes in our business.

Luckily I was able to make several Halloween projects for Altered Pages (some I've shared here) and I was tickled to be able to make an altered game piece for today's post over on the DominoART blog!  

Til Death Do Us Part....

Stamps: Viva Las Vegas Stamps

Aren't these gnomes so much fun?  I fell in love with them when I saw the plate and had to have them.  Just too much creepy fun.    I temporarily adhered the blogs to my craft mat then stamped the images using Black StazOn ink.  Once dry I covered it with a layer of GlazeOn (StazOn sealant) and began coloring the dominoes with a combination of StazOn Inks and Sharpie Markers adding additional layers of the GlazeOn between each new color.

I'm thinkin' it's going to be either a cover for a mini album or a pendant but I can't decide which.  What do you think?  

1 Day Left - Gossamer Ghost Book Give-A-Way!

There is only one day left to enter the drawing for the 2 book give-a-way for the newest Scrapbook Mystery by Laura Childs....  Gossamer Ghost!!

Check out this post - Gossamer Ghost - and leave a comment to be entered to win!  

Good Luck Everyone!!

Hocus-Pocus Treat Cone!

Time for some yummy goodness...

a Halloween Treat Cone filled with Candy Corn!

I know, some people love it, others hate it.  Well I'm in the love column...can't get enough of that honey, sweet goodness!

I started off by painting some Embedibles from ArtAnthology with Imperial (purple) Sorbet.

Then painted a paper mache cone with some of their Limeaid (such a fun color!)

Glued the dots to the cone, added some black ball trim, a little sparklie silver mesh...

A fun collage image from Altered Pages and a couple stamped images from JFF 

and then filled it with Candy Corn!

Easy Peasy!

Free Stamps Update

I just wanted to let everyone know that all of the stamps have been spoken for.  Be sure to stay tuned though, I have a few more binders to go through so there will be more.

Thanks!

Happy Franken' Halloween!

All Stamps - Just For Fun Rubber Stamps 

Just playin' around with some fun halloween stamps :)

I have e-mailed everyone who has asked about the free stamps.  I have only 3 sets left - if you're interested, please contact me asap.

Thanks!

Free Stamps

Yes, you read that correctly.  I am in a cleaning/organizing phase again and I have a whole collection of stamps that I love but don't have room for anymore.  Most are Third Coast Rubber Stamps but there are also some Scrolls Works RS (both now defunct & unavailable) which I don't like to use on projects here on the blog or in publication projects because they are no longer available.

I thought about selling them but I just don't have time to photograph them all and try to keep track of who wants what sooooo  I decided as an early birthday gift I'm just going to offer them up for free if you would pay postage.

Here's how I'd like to run it.  E-mail me and tell me what type of stamps you'd like to receive from the list (first, second and third choices).   I'll e-mail you back and let you know if I have what you're interested in.  You PP me $6.00 and I'll send you 1 assortment of stamps in a Small Flat Rate PM Box from your choice list.  These stamps are all mounted on cling foam - some inked others not - but in very good usable condition. I will make sure there are at least 8 stamps (unless indicated otherwise) in each assortment.

So, here is the list of what I have left....

*****Thanks everyone...all of the stamps have found new homes :)

Gelli Plate House Mouse Candy Card

Today I have a fun Halloween card I made using a print I made using my Gelli Plate and a House Mouse stamp....

I cut a section off of one of my prints I made using the Round Gelli Plate in autumn colors.  I then stamped the little carrot mouse right on the print.  The image was colored using Spectrum Noir markers with a bit of white gel pen for accents.  I stamped the sentiment and added a bit of pen work and sequins to finish it off.

Have you played with your Gelli Plate recently?  You need to pull it out and experiment...the prints are wonderful for holiday cards!!  I'm going to be sharing more Gelli Plate holiday cards soon :)  Stay tuned...I think you'll like what else I have in store!

DecoArt Media - Special Offer!!

I wanted to tell you about an amazing deal DecoArt has going on right now.  For a limited time they are offering a Media Starter Kit for an amazing price of $37.00!! That's 40% off the retail price!!!   If you act quickly you can use the Code: MEDIASHIP to receive free shipping as well.   But it expires 10-27-14 - Next Monday.

These are products that Andy Skinner (Blog / Facebook) uses quite often in his artwork which should be an indication of the quality since his art work is stunning.




Here's what's included in the kit....

• Crackle Paste - 4 oz
• Modeling Paste - White - 4 oz
• Liquid Glass - 2 oz
• Gesso - White - 4 oz
• Fluid Acrylic - Interference Gold - 1 oz
• Fluid Acrylic - Metallic Silver - 1 oz
• Fluid Acrylic - Carbon Black - 1 oz
• Fluid Acrylic - Titanium White - 1 oz
• Fluid Acrylic - Hansa Yellow Light - 1 oz
• Fluid Acrylic - Cadmium Red Hue - 1 oz
• Fluid Acrylic - Quinacridone Magenta - 1 oz
• Fluid Acrylic - Primary Cyan - 1 oz
• Mister - Carbon Black - 2 oz
• Shimmer Mister - Turquoise - 2 oz
• Antiquing Cream - English Red Oxide - 1 oz

Now, I'm not being paid to advertise this or anything.  I just stumbled upon this deal and thought it was too good to not pass along.  I ordered a set to give it all a try.  I will be sharing what I create using these products as soon as it arrives and I have a chance to play with it all.   I can't wait to get my hands on it...  So exciting to try out new goodies!!!

Watercolor Paper Winners!!

I finally got a chance to cut up the watercolor paper that I've had stashed under my bed waiting for this moment!!   I have 8 - yes EIGHT packages ready to go!!

There are two different assortments - Some of the papers were larger so there were enough to cut one for each package.  Some of the papers were smaller to begin with and after I cut off my "experimental" pieces I didn't have much left so I only got 4 pieces of each.  

There are also some more expensive pieces of watercolor paper included in each of the mixes.  When I originally ordered the paper I went a bit wild and got some more pricey papers but decided not to use them for the comparison because they really were cost prohibitive.  

Each mix also includes a piece of paper made from Bamboo!!  It's not watercolor paper but it is just an extra little bit of fun to try.   

Some papers are 3x6 and others are larger - it just depended on what I had left.  Anyway, I now have (8) -  6x9 envies - each with 10 pieces of beautiful, lush watercolor paper just waiting for a new home....

and the winners are....

(in no particular order)

Lisa Goldsmith

Sharon Lones

Ina Good

Denise Bryant

KT Fit Kitty

Angelia Chambers

WWillow

JackieP Neal

Congratulations Everyone!!

Please e-mail me your snail mail addy so I can get your papers out to you asap.

Gossamer Ghost - A Scrapbooking Mystery Give-A-Way!

You all know how much I love this time of year - of course there is the crisp cool temps, the beautiful fall colors and who could forget Halloween.  There is another reason I love this time of year though...it's time for another Scrapbook Mystery from Laura Childs!!

She hasn't disappointed - the newest book - Gossamer Ghost is even better than the last.  Carmella and the gang are back at it - jumping in hip deep into a mystery and helping her bo figure out who done it!  You won't want to miss out because this book is set during the Halloween season - fun fun fun!  Reading about all of the holiday parties, the spooky goings on in the Big Easy and who could forget the fun scrapbook and altered projects!

Once you start reading you won't want to put it down.  Trust me...I read it in record time.

I am fortunate enough to be able to offer up two signed copies of her book - simply leave a comment telling me your favorite part of Halloween and you'll be entered to win!  You have until 10-27 to leave a comment to be entered.

Good Luck and Happy Haunting!!!

Watercolor Paper Give-A-Way Soon...

I know, I am so far behind - I have put off posting the winners because I still have to chop up the paper as they are in huge sheets ~ it was cheaper to buy it this way.

We've recently taken on a few new jobs at our business I have fallen woefully behind on this contest and all sorts of things - laundry, cleaning, crafting, etc. etc. etc.  What started out as a part time job has blossomed into 3 full time jobs.

We are finally getting into the groove and getting caught up so I will be able to spend more time here doing the funner things in life again - LOL!!!

So, I am hoping to get the paper cut up tomorrow and announce the winners on Sunday so be sure to check back then!  If you didn't leave a comment during the comparison or if you've been waiting patiently, go ahead an leave another comment here for another entry.

Thanks for understanding and sticking around :)
You're why I do what I do!

5 Little Skulls All in a Row!

Happy Thursday Everyone!  I hope you've had a wonderful week so far.  It's been rainy and a bit dreary here but the trees are LOVELY right now!  Reds, Yellow, Orange, Green and even a bit of Brown...a beautiful burst of color.  If I remember I'll take my camera with me tomorrow when I head to work so I can get some shots of Mother Nature in her full glory.

Today I have a fun card for you...first, take a bit of acrylic paint and a paper punch for a drippy gooey mess...

A sheet of embossed cardstock highlighted with a few colors of Gelatos...

Add an exotic spooky skull flower...

An you've got a fun Halloween Spookfest!

The skull collage image is from Altered Pages. These are actually left-overs from the skulls I used when I was making the Poe/Skull card from the other day.  I used the one that fit Poe's skull and figured these would make a fun card by themselves.

Have a super Friday!!

Altered Playing Card - Week 6 - Halloween!!!

WOO Hooo!  You all know how much I love Halloween.  Well Week #6 in the Altered Playing Card Challenge is all about Halloween! 

Claudine's first card was painted then she added washi tape and embossed a Halloween image over top...

I kept to the basic design but I used Trolley Grey Art Anthology paint because it was still sitting on my desk from another project. I love this color...it reminds me of a sparklie stone.  I also used it because it was a nice neutral color to go with my washi tape...

You see, I have lots of colorful Halloween tapes so I needed that neutral background so they wouldn't clash.  I wanted the tape to "speak" as the sentiment so I covered most of the card with the tape.

And finished it off by stamping and embossing my trick or treat image  and then finished it off by embossing the edges as well.

The next card was made with a bit of Color Wash, stenciling and pieces torn from a holiday napkin.  

Well, I thought it would be fun to use real definitions from various old dictionaries as my main focus.  I just happened to have this wicked Raven ace of spades card in my stash...  How perfect is that?!?!  Sooo, I glued down several Halloween related definitions - carefully tearing each one so the center ace/raven still showed through.  Once the Creative Medium (collage glue) dried I added orange, green and purple StazOn inks over top.  I LOVE how it turned out!  I stamped the sentiment using black StazOn.

Here are a couple looks at the definitions....

And here are my cards together....  

What fun!  I love Halloween!!!

Candy Corn Acorns!

Fall is in full swing here in Indiana and that means time to collect the bounty of Mother Natures gifts to artists.  We have several large oak trees out at the farm so I always try to collect lots of acorns - both complete and caps.  There are lots of fun things you can do with both so I always pick up what I can before the squirrels snatch them all up.  I've got to be fast though - we've got some smart squirrels...they have to be as big and fat as they are ;)

Here's an Acorn Frame I made a while ago....I've made several over the years and they are always a big hit. 

Today I wanted to share another fun idea...painted acorns!  Dang people are acting like this is something new - I've seen them everywhere this year.  Of course this is nothing new but they are lots of fun to make and use for fall decor around the home.

I paint the acorns a couple different ways depending on if they have caps or not.  For the acorns without their little hats on I apply a bit of adhesive down on a scrap of paper and stick the acorns down so the point is facing up.

Then I just paint away.  Since I'm making "candy corn" acorns I'm going to paint a couple white, some yellow and a few more orange.

Depending on how dry your acorns are and your paint you may need to apply 2 or more coats.

Let them dry completely before moving on...

Here's where the extra caps come in...test fit a cap to find one that fits your acorn and then just add a bit of liquid glue (I'm using Aleene's Tacky Glue)

Then place the acorn into the cap and let the glue dry.

For the acorns that have caps I just hold them and paint away.  Once you're finished, find a pretty box to display them in.  I found this fun vintage jewelry casket at a garage sale this past summer...I thought it would be perfect for something like this....  Of course keeping my son out of the candy corn is going to be another issue ;)  lol!!

Hope you're enjoying Autumn where you are!

Stay Inky my Friends!