Inkspirational Challenge #352 - Seasonal

 Today I'm sharing my DT card for the newest Inkspirational Challenge debuting today.

I chose Halloween as my Season.  

(also could be Fall since Oct 31 is in that season!)

You can see the glittery black gate better in the photo below.

I stamped a piece of grey card with a grid stamp and used it to ground The Count standing at the gate of the graveyard.

I'm on a mission to use more of the neglected supplies in my craft room -  I've only used this iron gate die once before - and this is the first time using The Count die despite my purchase of it several years ago!   The gravestone die and sentiment are from an older PTI set - that I have used but not for a few years!  Even the star paper is from a retired Halloween Print pad from PTI.

We'd love to see what you create for the theme: Seasonal!  

You'll find inspiration from the rest of the DT and Mr. Linky for this challenge over at Inkspirational.

I'm also sending my card to:

NBUS

1st time using The Count

Two Old Bats

ends 10/31

Craft Rocket

Halloween  ends 10/31

Die Cut Divas

Anything Goes  ends 10/31

Stamps: Haunted Head Stones - Papertrey Ink (retired), Distressed Grid Cover Stamp - Cornish Heritage Farms (retired).
Paper: Pure Poppy, Weathervane, White, True Black, Summer Sunrise, Dark Indigo - PTI, Glitter Black - Coredinations, Halloween Print - PTI (retired)
Ink: Old Paper - Ranger Distress (on moon), Nocturne - Versafine Clair.
Accessories: The Count Colorize Die, Gatekeeper Die - Sizzix, Haunted Head Stones Dies - PTI (retired), foam dots,

Bats, Pumpkins and Boo to You!

 I don't send many Halloween cards but I do like to have some on hand.  I have two boxes of Halloween stamps, dies and ephemera - some of it never used yet -  so there's that reason too!

So for this card I used three new Lavinia Stamps for the first time (pumpkins and bats), a baseboard frame from Tim Holtz that I've had a package of for a year and never used one of them, and Regions Beyond die set (candle and crow) that I've also had for over a year and never used!

  

I seem to buy things after season when they are on sale and then forget I have them?!?

I'm sending my card to:

Just Us Girls

Inspired by the pumpkins, window and candle.

ends 9/26

NBUS

first time using pumpkin and bat stamps, Baseboard window frames, Regions Beyond die cuts (candle and crow)

Inspired by Challenge

ends 9/24

Cardz 4 Guyz

Inspired by Fall  

Stamps: Playful Pumpkin, Ickle Pumpkins, Flittermice - Lavinia, A Great Big Owl (sentiment)- Waltzingmouse (retired).
Ink: Nocturne - Versafine Clair.
Paper: White, True Black - PTI, DP Enchanted - Authentique, Ghosts and Goblins - DCWV.
Other Supplies: Baseboard Window Frames - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology, Regions Beyond die set - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, Tiny Twinkles - Taylored Expressions, Orange Peel Stickles, Copics Y38, YG03, E37, E00, C1, foam dots.

Group of Seven Cardmakers - Stencil Monoprinting - Sept 2024

 It's time for the Group Of Seven Cardmakers September post.  This month we are playing with the technique of Stencil Monoprinting.  You will find links to how to videos over at The Group of Seven Cardmakers blog.

You can create beautiful backgrounds or focal points for your cards, depending on the design of the stencil.  Basically you are using the background of the stencil to create your panel.  You can leave it as is on your card, or you can place the stencil back over top to add different ink colors or embossing paste to fill in the design.

Due to the larger/longer sizes of the stencils I used, I made all my cards Mini Slimline size - 3" x 6".

Rosette Stencil from Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous - Salty Ocean Ranger Distress Ink

Gondola dies are Alexandra Renke

Illusion Twist Stencil from Altenew - Scorched Timber Ranger Distress Ink

Succulent Stencil from Stencil Girl - Mowed Lawn and Forest Moss Ranger Distress Inks

A few photos of how I made my backgrounds.

  

Rub water reactive ink (like Ranger Distress inks) over stencil and spritz liberally with water. For this panel I used two colors - Mowed Lawn and Forest Moss.  

This stencil is  6"x6" so I was able to make 2 mini slim line cards from it (3"x6")

Flip the stencil over onto a panel of watercolor paper and press over the stencil to help the watery ink absorb into the paper.

Remove the stencil and again press over the panel with paper towel or cloth to absorb any pools of watery ink.

We hope you'll give this stenciling technique a try!  We have a Mr. linky over at The Group of Seven blog so you can share your card with everyone.  We'd love to see what you create!

I'm linking my Halloween card to:

Stencil Fun Challenge

Fall Frenzy - anything Fall ends 9/28

 NBUS

First time using the ghost dog die

Linking my Gondola card to:

Peace on Earth Christmas  ends 10/3

red and blue colors

Addicted to Stamps and More

ends 10/1

Linking my plant card to:

Just Us Girls

ends 10/2

Gondola Ski Christmas Card

Stamps: Two Feet Deep - PTI (retired)
Paper: Watercolor - Canson Cold Press, White, Pure Poppy, True Black - PTI
Ink: Salty Ocean - Ranger Distress, Nocturne- Versarine Clair
Accessories: Rosette Stencil - Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous, Die - Small Cable Car - Alexander Renke, foam dots, twine, paper towels or cloth, water mister.

Dog Ghost Halloween Card

Paper: Watercolor - Canson Cold Press, Olive Twist, True Black - PTI, hammered white (on ghost) - Amazon.
Ink: Scorched Timber - Ranger Distress.
Accessories: Illusion Twist Stencil - Altenew, Ghost Dog die - Amazon, Halloween Shadows - Tim Holtz/Alterations, orange Copic, foam dots, tiny gold gems - Gina Marie Designs, white enamel dots - Altenew, Black sharpie pen (pupil on eye), water mister, paper towels or cloth.


Succulent Cards

Stamps: Plant Kindness - Stampotique, Way to Grow - The Greetery.
Paper: Water color - Canson Cold Press.
Ink: Mowed Lawn, Forest Moss - Ranger Distress, Nocturne - Versafine Clair
Accessories: Succulents Stencil - Stencil Girl, Dimensional Plant Stickers - Recollections, water mister, paper towels or cloth.

Inkspirational #300 - Spider Web Card and Envelope

 It's time for Inkspirational Challenge #300 and it's a Designer's Choice.   Carol is the designer choosing the theme this time and her challenge is to make a card with a matching envelope.

I don't usually do anything to my envelopes - but I do have a set of templates for making different size envelopes AND templates to create a liner for the inside of an envelope.  I got them at The Paper Source store many many years ago!

They came in handy for this challenge!

  

I used the A2 envelope template to trace and cut out my envelope using the same patterned paper that I used for the front of my card.  Then I just scored where indicated and folded up my envelope!

I used Remnant Rubs: Apothecary from Tim Holtz/Idea-ology to decorate my card and envelope, along with the dangling spider die cuts using a die from Memory Box. I cut them out of linen vellum so they have a ghostly appearance and I added one black gem to their faces.

I used a black card base, stamping the sentiment on a white panel on the inside of the card and die cut ghosts from Frightful Things thinlet dies from Tim Holtz/Sizzix. 

(these ghosts just crack me up!! UM  -  I mean SCARE me!)

I put more rub-ons on the envelope flap

and one where the return address will go on the front of the envelope - I added a blank address label on the front of the envelope so the address would be readable!

The patterned paper I used (Recollections from Michaels) is two sided, so on the inside of the envelope you see all these tiny spiders surrounded by orange and black dots.  Much more fun than plain white!

Here you can hopefully see the shine on the orange dots.

There are lots of ways to decorate your envelope to match your card - so please check out what the rest of the Inkspirational Design Team has created!  

You'll find them along with Mr. Linky where you can link up your card and matching envelope creations over at the Inkspirational Blog!

You have through Oct 20th to link up!

I'm linking my card to:

Use Your Stuff

#494 Small Type

the words on the front of my card and the words on the flap of the envelope are small type rub ons

ends 10/14

Crafting Happiness

Halloween

Ends 10/31

Inspired by:

the  black/white colors and the antlered skull on the cabinet

ends 10/11

Tic Tac Toe #229

I did diagonal corner to corner starting at bottom left

Matching envelope/Patterned Paper/Holiday

ends 10/12

Stamp: Visit the Web - Penny Black

Paper:  White, True Black, Linen Vellum (for spiders) - Papertrey Ink,  DP - Double Sided Sheet from Recollections/Michaels.

Ink:  Nocturne - Versafine Claire

Accessories:  A2 Envelope Template - Paper Source Store, Dangling Spider die - Memory Box, dhost dies from Frightful Things Thinlits Die Set - Tim Holtz/Sizzix,  Apothecary Remnant Rubs - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology, black gems.

Trick or Treat Pumpkin

 Here's another Halloween card from me!  This may be my last this year, but you never know!

I white embossed the black card panel using the Windowpane Plaid stamp from The Greetery.  I die cut the pumpkin and ghost with Frightful Things dies from Tim Holtz/Sizzix.  I stamped the sentiment onto a die cut strip.  The pumpkin and sentiment are up on foam dots, the ghost is flat against the background behind the pumpkin a bit.

I'm linking my card to:

Double D Challenge
Orange and Black Mood Board

 

Stamps: Windowpane Plaid - The Greetery, Mini Strips - Halloween - Taylored Expressions.
Ink: Versamark, Espresso - Altenew
Paper: True Black, white, Orange Zest - PTI
Accessories: Frightful Things Thinlit dies - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, Mini Strips die - Taylored Expressions., foam dots.

The Eyes of Halloween

 It's the Halloween season and although I've mailed out most of my cards already, it seems I keep making more!

I adhered a strip of watercolor paper to a panel of black card.  I added the Eerie Eyes to the strip and Halloween Label Tape above and below the strip of eyes.  I cut the SPOOKY from the label tape and adhered it in the bottom right corner.  

I'm linking my card to:

Inspired By

I was inspired by the 'eyes' on a log on the food tray in the photo

Two Old Bats

anything Halloween

Paper: True Black, white card base - PTI, watercolor paper - Canson Cold Press
Accessories: Eerie Eyes - Doodlebug Designs, Label Tape: Halloween - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology.