Hey Pumpkin!

Happy Saturday everyone!   We had a beautiful fall day here in New England -  Kent and I went to a local orchard for some apples and delicious warm cider doughnuts - Yum!!    Then we walked the bike path here in town to pretend we worked off all the doughnut calories!

Before we left for our fall adventure - I managed to create two cards. (don't we always!?!)

My first card was made for the Addicted to CAS challenge - Code Word Autumn/Fall and I used the Less is More Sketch for my design.

And here is my card for these challenges.

I used a brand new little stamp set I just got from PaperTrey Ink - called Polka Dot Parade #8 using it's coordinating die set to cut the pumpkin, stem and leaves.  I used a Spellbinders Hexagon die to cut out the shape and layered some patterned paper behind it.  I punched the 'Hey' with a 3/4" circle then snipped off the bottom to layer it over the PUMPKIN sentiment.  My card is 4 1/4" x 4 1/4"

My 2nd card was made for the Waltzingmouse Fanatics Challenge - which was a color challenge this week.  You had to use at least 3 of the colors.

 I made a Halloween card with these colors -  and while mine are not as bright as the inspiration -  I did get them all in -  orange, red, purple 2 greens and a lavender.

I used two Waltzingmouse stamp sets for my card -  Candy Wagon (along with a free WMS cut file for the wagon) and Halloween Party. 

I used two fun little stamps for the background - a leafy stem and a triple star stamp in the sky.

I hope you'll join in on the Waltzingmouse Fanatics color challenge -   you have until 10/3 to link up your card!

Hey Pumpkin:
Stamps:  Polka Dot Parade #8 - Papertrey Ink
Paper:  White - PTI, DP Authentique/Enchanted
Ink:  Versafine Spanish Moss and Habanero, Memento Potters Clay
Accessories:  3/4" circle punch - EK Success, foam dots, pumpkin die - PTI, Hexagon die - Spellbinders.

Spooky Treats:
Stamps:  Candy Wagon, Halloween Party - Waltzingmouse
Paper:  White - PTI
Ink:  Memento New Sprout, Pear Tart and Lady Bug, Ranger Distress Milled Lavender, Versafine Imperial Purple and Habanero
Accessories:  foam dots, enamel dots - My Mind's Eye, candy wagon cut file - Waltzingmouse.

What Appears to be the End.....

I was fortunate enough to have one of my Mixed Media  projects chosen as the winner over at the Mixed Media Challenge a couple of weeks ago -  and so I just had to use some of the wonderful stamps and dies that I won on my project this week where the colors to use are lavender, grey and light green.

I decided to make a tag this time - and I used acrylic paint, black ink and black Color Shine Spray as my mediums.

First I dry brushed green acrylic paint over my gray die cut tag.  Then I stamped a text stamp using Archival Jet Black ink.  I next stamped the gears stamp using green acrylic paint over the stamp (be sure to wash your stamp immediately after stamping when you use acrylic paint!)

 I stamped the clock face over the edge and layered die cut gears over the center of the clock and around the hole in the top of the tag.  I added some enamel dots - and then spritzed the whole tag with Heidi Swapp Color Shine Black Velvet spray. (I almost ruined the whole tag - it's so hard to control a 'spritz' and I did have to re-stamp a couple of the sentiment pieces as they got covered in black!)

The sentiment stamp is from Dylusions.  In case you cannot see it all -  it reads "what appears to be the end is usually the start of a new beginning".

You still have time to link a project to Mona and Sue's Mixed Media Color Challenge -   I hope you'll check it out and join in!

Stamps:  Collage Backgrounds, MPD Timeless - My Favorite Things,  The Right Words - Dylusions.
Paper:  Wisteria Wonder, Basic Grey - SU
Ink:  Archival Jet Black
Accessories:  dies - tag and bookplate/Tim Holtz, MPD Time Pieces/My Favorite Things, Heidi Swapp Color Shine Black Velvet, Pea Shoot Acrylic Paint - Martha Stewart, brush, enamel dots - My Minds Eye, Foam dots, wrinkled seam tape - Prairie Bird Boutique Etsy Shop.

... but naught changeth Thee

I made today's card for the Cas-ual Fridays challenge -  to use fall colors and at least one leaf.

 and here is my CAS card -  using fall colors of orange, red and green and exactly ONE leaf!

My sentiment and leaf stamp are from Seasons of Change by Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps.  I used the matching leaf die to cut the leaf.  I stamped the leaf using red, green and orange and also sponged the edges to give it a little more definition.  It's popped up on foam dots.  I added some enamel dots and drew a border with my brown Micron 01 fine tip pen.

I'm also entering this in Word Art Wednesday - Anything Goes.

Stamps:  Sweet 'n Sassy - Seasons of Change
Paper:  White - PTI
Ink:  Memento Lady Bug, Bamboo Leaves, Tangelo, Versafine Vintage Sepia.
Accessories:  enamel dots - My Mind's Eye, foam dots, brown Micron 01 Fine Tip pen.

A Horribly Happy Halloween

I made this Halloween card for two challenges today -  I used the colors from the Split Coast Color Challenge - gumball green, smokey slate and white.   And I used the Seize the Sketch challenge for the design.

 And here is the card I created.  Who knew these colors would make a spooky Halloween card??!

I used a Nested Tombstone die from Spellbinders and the Chevron Stripes die from MFT.  I white embossed the sentiment from Midnight Feast on the tombstone and stamped the bats from Halloween Party on the white panel.  All the stamps are from Waltzingmouse.

Stamps:  Midnight Feast, Halloween Party - Waltzingmouse
Paper:  Smokey Shadow, white - PTI, Gumball Green - SU
Ink:  Smokey Shadow - PTI, Versamark
Accessories:  white embossing powder, heat gun, chevron stripes die - MFT, Nested Tombstone die - Spellbinders, foam tape.

Happy Haunting

Today I have a card for the Dynamic Duos Challenge -  I haven't played this challenge for a while but I like that there are only two colors to use -  I seem to have trouble creating spontaneously when I have to use 3 or more colors - as they are often colors I don't naturally reach for!

Anyhoo -  Kraft and Black I like!    I used some new stamps from Waltzingmouse for my Happy Haunting Card

This wonderful tree stamp is Spooky Tree Backgrounder, the sentiment is from All Hallows Eve and the bats and spider (do you see him??!) are from an older set called Halloween Party.

I layered  a piece of washi tape under the sentiment that I popped up on foam dots.  I sponged all the edges with Old Paper Distress Ink just to give it a little shadow.

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - Spooky Tree Backgrounder, All Hallows Eve, Halloween Party
Paper:  Kraft, True Black - PTI
Ink:  Ranger Distress Black Soot and Old Paper
Accessories:  washi tape - Darice, foam dots.

A Wild and Crazy Day!

Happy Saturday everyone -  here in MA it started out as a beautiful sunny day - but now it's getting a little cooler, a little windy and rain is predicted for evening!  I love that the days are getting cooler as fall approaches - I really hate the hot humid days!

So - today I was busy stamping a card for two challenges -  The Inspiration Challenge over on Split Coast was Eastern Accents web store and I was inspired by this zebra pillow.  

I just love the animals in the It's a Jungle Out There stamp set - I have the dies that match it as well. The little zebra in the set was perfect for my card today.

I used Wonky Rectangles to cut my 'pillow' shape. I embossed the black background with Herringbone from Cuttlebug.

I used this week's Cas(e) This Sketch for my design.

 Gotta run -  DH and I want to get a walk in before the rain comes!   Thanks so much for stopping by today!

If you participated in the WMS DT blog hop on Thursday by leaving comments -  Don't forget to check out Claire's WMS Blog  on Monday 9/23 to see if you won a stamp set !

Waltzingmouse September Release DT Blog Hop

Welcome to the September Waltzingmouse Release Day Design Team Blog Hop!  Today is the day you can finally purchase any and all of the wonderful new sets we have been previewing for the past 3 days!  Have you got your list handy??!!

The blog hop starts with Claire and she will have a complete list in case you loose your way!

If you arrived here from Sandie's blog - you are in the right place!

For my card today -  I used the sets Putting on the Ritz and Art Deco Backgrounders.  For my colors, I was inspired by this weeks Pinspired Challenge

Here is my card -  I used beeded pins for the headdress on the flapper girl - punching a hole in the headband - cutting off the sharp ends of the pins, sticking them through the hole and taping the ends on the back.

As always with our Blog Hops - there will be a prize of a WMS stamp set of choice from a random drawing from comments left on all of the Design Team blogs. You  have until September 21  6:59 am EST to leave comments. The winner will be posted on The Waltzingmouse Makes Blog  on Monday, September 23rd.

Now off you go to Laurie's blog -  next in line for the hop!   And don't forget to shop!

Stamps:  Putting on the Ritz, Art Deco Backgrounders - Waltzingmouse
Paper:  White, Raspberry Fizz - PTI
Ink:  Ranger Distress Black Soot, Picked Raspberry, Salty Ocean, Mowed Lawn
Accessories:  Wonky Rectangle Nestabilities, foam dots, new leaf saddle stitched ribbon - PTI, beeded pins - Mark's Finest Papers, circle Nestabilities, 1 1/2 and 1 3/4 circle punches - EK Success

Waltzingmouse Sneak Peek Day #3 - A Witch and a Spooky Tree!

Welcome friends to Day 3 of the Waltzingmouse Sept Release Sneak Peeks!  Today we have two more sets to show you - both suitable for Halloween stamping -  Vintage Witch and Spooky Tree Backgrounder.

First up I made a card using the wonderful Spooky Tree (this background stamp would be great year round - not just for Halloween!).  I simply stamped the tree coming down from the top corner, added a sentiment from the Vintage Witch set that I die cut with a Deckled Edge Nestability  and added 3 punched butterflies.

Here's a close up of the wonderful detail on the branches - it's like a photograph!

 I'm entering this card in this week's Cas(e) this Sketch

And for my final sneak peek -  I made a tag - using the Vintage Witch set.  I cut a tag using a Tim Holtz Die in Kraft card stock.  Then I dry brushed white acrylic paint over it.  I stamped this wonderful vintage witch on white, cut it out and inked the edges with Antique Linen Distress Ink.  I stamped the 'Oct 31st' and poem directly on the tag.  I looped some pom pom ribbon through the hole in the tag and added some enamel dots.

Look at the wonderful detail on this witch!

Here's a close up of the poem

 I hope I have inspired you with my projects using Claire's wonderful new sets.  They will all be available tomorrow (!) for purchase.  The Design Team will be having a blog hop starting at 2 pm EST and you could win a stamp set by leaving comments so I hope you'll come by tomorrow!

Once again - here are the links to the Design Team members working with these stamps today.

 Iwona Palamountain Jean Martin Jeanne Jachna  Teresa Kline  Jennifer Holmes Julia Aston  Kelly Schirmer Kim Duran Laurie Schmidlin Lynn Mercurio Renee Lynch  Tosha Leyendekker Claire Brennan

Halloween Greetings Tree
 Stamps:  Spooky Tree Backgrounder, Vintage Witch - Waltzingmouse (available 9/19)
Paper:  White, True Black - PTI
Ink:  Ranger Distress Black Soot
Accessories:  Deckled Edge Mega Rectangles - Spellbinders, foam tape, butterflies punch - Martha Stewart, glue pen

Witch Tag  
Stamps:  Vintage Witch - Waltzingmouse (available 9/19)
Paper:  kraft, white, true black - PTI
Ink:  Ranger Distress Black Soot and Antique Linen
Accessories:  foam dots, paint brush, white acrylic paint, black pom pom ribbon - American Crafts, tag and book plates die - Tim Holtz Alterations, enamel dots - My Mind's Eye

Creations by AR - Sept Release - Simply Scrumptious Shop

Wait until you see the wonderful little treat box Adela has created over at Creations by AR being released today!  It's called Simply Scrumptious Shop and some of the Design Team has samples to inspire you today!

I decided to make mine a spooky Halloween shop!  Using some fun designer and Core-dinations papers.  I've got lots of pictures to show you so I'll keep the 'chatter' to a minimum!  You can see I have a spooky skull looking out of the shop window to entice little children to 'come inside!"  The bat on the roof is an older Sizzix Die.

I adhered my shutters a little akimbo since we all know Haunted Shops are in disrepair!  And we have some black ferns growing in the window box - no doubt to make some lovely poisonous potions with!

Here are views of the two sides and back of the shop -  I used stamps from Midnight Feast by Waltzingmouse.

The Halloween fence is a Martha Stewart Punch that I adhered around the shop using foam dots.  I added an additional awning roof on the back of mine to make it look more ominous in the sanded black!

To open the box to get to the treats inside (if you dare!!) - you simply lift the roof off! (the two chimney pieces fit through a slot in the roof)

and the front of the shop opens up!  I lined the inside of my door and the inside walls of the shop with additional pieces of patterned paper since my paper was white on the back.  It finished it off nicely and also added a little strength to the box.

There are two options for 'shelving' inside the shop -  you can have up to 5 shelves to place a cookie or candy on each shelf -  or a base with a hole in it to place a treat inside - I used the base with the hole in it.

and I placed a 'ghoulish' treat inside the hole!   A paper nut cup full of Gummy Vampires!  I adhered black pom pom ribbon around the cup - filled it with the candy, wrapped in cellophane and placed the cup  in a black net bag that I had from last years' Halloween candy purchase of some chocolate eyeballs!  (Never throw anything away right?!)  I tied the package closed with some wrinkled seam tape running it through the eyes of Mr. Skull and tying it in a bow.

All of Adela's templates come in 3 formats - PDF to print and hand cut, SVG and DXF to use with cutting machines. I used the SVG files with my Silhouette Cameo.  The Simply Scrumptious Shop measures 2.75" x 2.75" x 6.25"

PRIZE:
Simply Scrumptious Shop Template
HOW TO WIN:
• Leave comments on each blog
• AR FB: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Creations-by-AR/154314751303824
• AR PCP Group: http://www.papercraftplanet.com/group/creationsbyar
Comments accepted until September 22 (12:00 noon EST)
One random winner will be announced September 23:
AR FB: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Creations-by-AR/154314751303824
AR PCP Group: http://www.papercraftplanet.com/group/creationsbyar
AR Blog:  http://cbyar.blogspot.com

Now I'm heading over to the other Design Team members blogs to see what kind of Simply Scrumptious Shops they created - want to come with me??!   here are the links!  Remember to leave a comment at each blog for a chance to win the template!

Adela

Julia - Me!

Lyn

Patti

Lisa
Lori
Jak
Sue K

Stamps:  Midnight Feast - Waltzingmouse
Ink:  Ranger Distress Antique Linen, Ranger Archival Jet Black
Paper:  Rustic White - PTI, black - Coredinations , rust orange Kraft Core Coredinations, DP- Night Light Dotted Corn -My Mind's Eye
Accessories:  bat die - Sizzix, skull punch, fence punch, fern punches - Martha Stewart, foam dots, Modern Label Punch - SU, sand paper, pom pom ribbon - American Crafts, nut cup - party supply store, gummy vampire candy - CVS, Simply Scrumptious Shop Template - Creations by AR

Waltzingmouse Sept Sneak Peek - Day 2

Welcome to day 2 of the Waltzingmouse Sept Sneak Peeks!  Today we are showcasing stamps for Claire's favorite holiday - Halloween!  The sets are called All Hallows Eve, The Count  and Splat That

For my first project I used stamps from All Hallows Eve and Splat That.  I made a shadow box card using a wonderful tutorial that I found here.  The sentiment says 'nevermore, quoth the raven' from Edgar Allen Poes' poem the Raven.  I Googled the poem and found it here.  The raven, church ruin and sentiments are from All Hallows Eve.

Here's a close up of the blood splatter from the mini set Splat That that I embossed in cranberry.  That's quite a splat isn't it!!  The set also includes some claw marks!

I also embossed a little 'blood' on the ravens beak and claws just to get into the gruesome spirit!

I brushed glitter glaze over the ruin and the raven you can see it here on this rather blurry pic!

For my second project - I made four ghoulish Halloween Treat Bags using stamps from the Mini Set - The Count.  I used orange bags I purchased at the Christmas Tree Shop - 8 for $2.29 (!) and added some Bloomers  ribbon that I've had for ages. I love the red/orange combo!  I die cut the Count with a Labels 18 Nestability and sponged it in Fired Brick Distress Ink before removing it from the die.

Can you see the shadow behind the Count below?   This is the result of a "whoops" -  after I stamped my first Count - I dropped the stamp as I was lifting it off the card stock - and it left a 'shadow'!!  Not quite placed perfectly - but a shadow none the less!  So - then I stamped one on purpose - stamping it solid - lifting the stamp and shifting it slightly down and to the left and stamped again - I love how it came out!  I added two red Tiny Twinkles to his cape.  The calling card reads:  "His excellency, Count Dracula, kindly request admission."

And for my final project today -  I wanted to participate in the Waltzingmouse Fanatics Inaugural Challenge which was a sketch this week

I used stamps from The Count, Splat That and Vintage Witch (that you'll see more of tomorrow!) on my card.  First I stamped the 'blood smear" twice in Fired Brick Distress Ink onto a white panel.  Then I sponged the panel with Chipped Sapphire.  I stamped the Count, cut him out and layered him over the blood with foam dots.  Then I stamped the sentiment directly onto the panel and added some enamel dots and Tiny Twinkles.  There's one more day to participate in the sketch challenge so I hope you'll check it out!

I'm excited to see what the other Design Team Members have to show us today - here are the links:

  Jean Martin Jeanne Jachna Teresa Kline  Jennifer Holmes Julia Aston Iwona Palamountain  Kelly Schirmer Kim Duran Laurie Schmidlin Lynn Mercurio Renee Lynch Tosha Leyendekker Claire Brennan

I hope you'll stop by tomorrow for Day 3 of the Sneaks! The new release is Thurs 9/19 when we'll have our DT blog hop and you can win some WMS stamps!  Which ones are your favorites??

Raven Shadow Box
Stamps:   All Hallows Eve, Splat That - Waltzingmouse (available 9/19)
Paper:  black - Michaels, white - PTI
Ink:  Black Soot - Ranger Distress, Versamark
Accessories:  tutorial for shadow box, deckled edge mega rectangles - Spellbinders, Cranberry Adirondack Embossing Powder, heat gun, glitter glaze shear sparkle - MFT, enamel dots - My Minds Eye

Count Party Bags
Stamps:  The Count - Waltzingmouse (available 9/19)
Paper:  white - PTI
Ink:  Ranger Distress Black Soot and Fired Brick
Accessories:  orange bags - The Christmas Tree Shop, tiny twinkles - Taylored Expressions, foam dots, red rose ribbon - Bloomers/Websters Pages, Labels 18 Nestabilities - Spellbinders, Scor tape. 

Halloween Greetings
Stamps:  The Count, Splat That,  Vintage Witch - Waltzingmouse (available 9/19)
Paper:  White PTI
Ink:  Ranger Distress Black Soot, Fired Brick and Chipped Sapphinre
Accessories:  foam tape, enamel dots - My Minds Eye, Tiny Twinkles - Taylored Expressions.

Waltzingmouse Sept Sneak Peek Day 1 Art Deco!

Welcome to the first day of the Waltzingmouse Sept Sneak Peeks!  Claire has 8 new wonderful stamp sets being released on Thursday Sept 19th.

Today we are showing Putting on the Ritz, Art Deco Backgrounders and Opera Tags Christmas.

First I have 2 projects to show you using Art Deco Backgrounders and Putting on the Ritz.   Here's a fun little tote I made from a template.  I stamped the background on the front and back panels before assembling the tote. The tote measures 5 1/4" x 5 1/2" x 2 1/2" so A2 size cards will fit in perfectly or a nice sized gift!

 There's a little pocket that you place on the inside that I stamped with the same background - you can slip a gift card inside the pocket.

There's also a little coin purse to hang on the outside.

I closed the flap with a piece of Velcro.

Next I made a card using both backgrounds from the backgrounder set and two more of the sentiments from Putting on the Ritz.

I die cut a Polaroid frame out of black sparkly card stock and adhered the sentiment panel to the frame.  I popped the  top piece of background and the frame up on foam dots.  I die cut the black bow, added a clear rhinestone and adhered it below the sentiment.  

I'm entering this card in the Little Red Wagon Challenge - Frame it.

I stamped the frame from Putting on the Ritz and another sentiment from the set on the inside of my card.

My last project today is a 3D creation I made using one of the ornaments from the Mini set Opera Tags Christmas.  When I stamped the ornament - I turned it upside down and it looked like a tree to me!

I stamped the ornament 4 times, die cut them with Claires' Opera Tag Die and punched out the centers with a 1 3/4" circle punch.  I cut off the point on the bottom just a bit so it would stand up.  I scored each piece down the middle  and glued them together - half to half to half. I punched 2 circles  with a 1 1/2" punch, stamped the sentiment on both pieces and adhered them together with a silver thread in between them. Before I adhered the top pieces of the 'tree' I placed the silver thread between the pieces so the circle would 'float' in the opening.

Here's a view with the 'tree' laid down so you can see all the sides.  This will fold pretty flat so it could be mailed like a card.

Well -  I hope you enjoyed my projects for today!

Here are the links to the Design Team members showing these sets today.  And please stop by tomorrow for Day 2!

 Becca Feeken  Jean Martin Jeanne Jachna Jennifer Holmes Julia Aston  Kelly Schirmer Kim Duran Laurie Schmidlin Teresa Kline Lynn Mercurio Renee Lynch Sandie Dunne Tosha Leyendekker Claire Brennan


Haute Tote Bag:
Stamps:  Art Deco Backgrounders, Putting on the Ritz - Waltzingmouse (available 9/19)
Paper:  Vintage Cream - PTI, black - Michaels
Ink:  Black Soot - Ranger Distress
Accessories:  Haute Tote Template - Creations by AR, Silhouette Cameo, wonky rectangles - Spellbinders, beaded key chain - Tandy Leather, Scor Tape, 1 1/2" circle punch - EK Success, brads - Black Tie/Bazzill, foam dots, Velcro.

Cat's Pajamas Card
Stamps:  Art Deco Backgrounders, Putting on the Ritz - Waltzingmouse (available 9/19)
Paper:  Vintage Cream, True Black - PTI, sparkle cardstock - Michaels
Ink:  Archival Jet Black - Ranger
Accessories:  Clear rhinestone - Michaels, scor tape, foam tape, Bow Die - L'il Inker Designs, Polaroid Die - Jillian Vance Design

Tree card/ornament
Stamps:  Opera Tags Christmas - Waltzingmouse (available 9/19)
Paper:  Certainly Celery - SU
Ink:  Archival Jet Black - Ranger
Accessories:  1 3/4" and 1 1/2" circle punches - EK Success, Opera tag Die - Waltzingmouse/Spellbinders, rhinestones - Kaiser, silver cloisonne thread.