WMS Sept Preview Day #3 - Hocus Pocus

Here we are at Day #3 of the Waltzingmouse Preview of Claire's September Release!  Tomorrow is the release as well as the Design Team Blog Waltz!

Today we are previewing a spooky little Hallween set called Hocus Pocus! 

Those of you who visit my blog often, know that I make a lot of crafts for the holidays to sell at my church -  I'm always on the lookout for fun easy projects when I blog surf.

I found the idea for my first project here on Broni Holcomb's blog.  I revised it a bit for my needs - as I had a different shape treat bottle and used card stock instead of tags.

 The witch, raven and sentiment are from Hocus Pocus - the bats are from a set from 2 seasons ago - Midnight Feast.

Here's a picture from the back for those of you who would like to see how it was done.  I cut a strip of black cardstock long enough to wrap around the bottle and over lap the tall card stock strip.  I adhered the front edge of the strip to the card with Scortape, wrapped it around the bottle and adhered the back edge.  Then I punched a hole through all layers with my Cropadile to thread my ribbon through.

 The sentiment was die cut with a Fancy Tags 2 by Spellbinders.

For my second project -  I decorated a 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" papermache box from Michaels.  I did something fun on the top -  I sprayed it with Chalk Board Paint by Krylon so it could be written on with chalk!  I found out about this cool spray paint on my friend Mara's blog.  She used it on wine glasses! 

 First I masked 1/2" around the box cover and then sprayed it with the Chalk Board Paint per the directions on the can (basically just spray and let dry!).  After it dried -  I decorated the cover edge with ribbon and the bottom of the box with patterned paper - sponging all the edges with Vintage Photo Distress ink.

 The sentiment, raven and witch are from Hocus Pocus, the moon and stars are from Midnight Feast.  The RIP grave stone is a Martha Stewart punch  - and I wrote the Boo! with chalk!

A fun little twist for a treat box -  an interactive cover!

Tomorrow we'll be back at 2 pm EST for the DT Blog Waltz previewing the final new release set - and there will be a prize to win!  Hope you can stop by!  Get your wish list ready too - all the sets will be available for purchase!

And now - one more time - please check out all the Design Team members linked below that have created some inspiration for us using Hocus Pocus! 

• Anya Schrier
• Belinda Chang Langner
• Claire Brennan
• Clare Buswell
• Jennifer Holmes
• Julia Aston
• Kate Whelan
• Kelly Schirmer
• Laurie Schmidlin
• Lynn Mercurio
• Niki Estes
• Sandie Dunne
• Sarah Martina Parker
• Tosha Leyendekker

Happy Haunting Treat bottle:

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - Hocus Pocus (to be released 9/19), bats from Midnight Feast.

Paper:  Black, Plum Pudding, White - PTI, DP Ghosts & Goblins Matstack DCWV Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Imperial Purple. Accessories: Rhinestones - Kaiser, Fancy Tags 2 - Spellbinders, wrinkled seam tape - Prairie Bird Boutique Etsy Shop, scallop circle and circle punches - SU, foam tape, Scor Tape, Crop a dile, Bottle - Taylored Expressions.

Chalkboard Cover Treat Box: Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Hocus Pocus (to be released 9/19), moon and stars from Midnight Feast. Paper:  Oranbe Zest, white - PTI, DP Ghosts and Goblins Matstack - DCWV. Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Distress Vintage Photo. Accessories:  Chalk - Crayola, ChalkBoard Spray paint - Krylon (got mine at Joanne's), Scor tape, key tag and circle punch - SU, grave stone punch -Martha Stewart, saddle stitched Orange Zest ribbon -PTI, paper mache box - Michaels 

Waltzingmouse Sept Preview Day 2 - Halloween Treats!

Welcome to Day 2 of the Waltzingmouse September Release Previews!  Thank you for all your thoughtful comments on my Cottage Card yesterday!

Today we are using a wonderful sentiment set called Say It Loud - Autumn/Winter. 

And since today is also the September Friends of Waltzingmouse Blog Waltz in the forum where the theme is Halloween -  I'm also sneaking in a little peek at Hocus Pocus -  a set the DT will be previewing tomorrow.

For my preview -   I made this spooky little Halloween Treat bag!

The two pieces of the sentiment are from Say it Loud - Autumn/Winter and the wonderfully creepy fence is from Hocus Pocus.  The gift bag is from CVS - I love the way the handle is attached in the middle of the front and back of the bag rather than the sides.    The basket shred inside the bag is really a spooky purple - but it photographed blue.... : (

I stamped the fence on a wide piece of twill, fraying the ends a little bit and sponging the edges with Vintage Photo distress ink.  The sentiment is die cut with a Fancy Tags 2 by Spellbinders that I sponged before taking it out of the die. A quick and easy way to make a dramatic Halloween Treat bag!

And here are 3 holiday cards I made using the Say It Loud Autumn/Winter sentiments. 

I made them all  4 1/4 x 4 1/4 and used basically the same design on each - all very CAS and easy to duplicate for your card sending needs!

One for Halloween -  the raven is from Hocus Pocus, the cauldron and spider are from Claire's first year set, Halloween Party.  I added rhinestones to the bubbling brew and to the spider and sponged the edges with Brushed Corduroy.

One for Thanksgiving - do you recognize our little witch Cicely from the last release??  I made her a pilgrim by not inking the point of her hat!  The leaf is from one of Claire's first sets - Peace and Plenty.  I made the row of dots with a strip embossing folder from Provo Craft and added rhinestones to the leaf, the sentiment and Cicely's front ruffles.

One for Christmas - this was also for Fridays Free 4 All Challenge over on Split Coast - to use mostly blue!  I stamped the pine boughs from Festive Foliage with Tumbled Glass Ink and added some Dazzling Diamonds.  I also put three rhinestones on the sentiment.

See how versatile this lovely sentiment set is??!!

Please check out all the Design Team blogs linked below for more inspiration using this super new set!  Hope to see you back here tomorrow for Day #3 of the previews!  It should be 'spook-tacular'!!

• Anya Schrier
• Becca Feekan
• Claire Brennan
• Clare Buswell
• Jennifer Holmes
• Julia Aston - You are here!
• Kate Whelan
• Kelly Schirmer
• Laurie Schmidlin
• Mona Pendleton
• Niki Estes
• Sandie Dunne
• Sarah Martina Parker
• Tosha Leyendekker

Halloween Treat Bag:
Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - Say It Loud - Autumn/Winter, Hocus Pocus (to be released 9/19)
Paper:  Orange Zest - PTI,  gift bag - CVS
Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black, Ranger Distress Vintage Photo
Accessories:  Word Window Punch - SU, wide twill - SU, Fancy Tags 2 - Spellbinders, purple basket shred - Michaels, rhinestones - Kaiser

Halloween Card:
Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Say It Loud Autumn/WInter, crow from Hocus Pocus (to be released 9/19), cauldron and spider from Halloween Party.
Paper:  Orange Zest, White, Smokey Shadow - PTI
Ink:  Ranger Distress Black Soot, Brushed Corduroy
Accessories:  Black Micron Pen, tiny twinkles - Taylored Expressions, glue pen.

Thanksgiving Card:
Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - Say It Loud Autumn/WInter, Cicely at Halloween, leaf from Peace and Plenty
Paper:  White, Smokey Shadow, Simply Chartreuse - PTI
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories:  2" circle punch - Fiskars, 1 3/4" circle punch - SU, black Micron Pen, Copics: E00, E35, E37, N6, N2, R20, YG95, R14, Rhinestones - Kaiser, Gold Spica Pen. dotted embossing strip - Just My Type  set from Provo Craft.

Christmas Card:
Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - Say It Loud Autumn/Winter,  pine boughs from Festive Foliage.
Paper: White, smokey Shadow, Hawaiian Shores - PTI
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Distress Tumbled Glass
Accessories:  Dazzling Diamonds - SU, glue pen, rhinestones - Kaiser

Waltzingmouse Sept Preview Day 1 - Love Lives Here

I'm so excited to be showing you a preview of A Cottage Home - one of the wonderful new sets Claire has created for the Waltzingmouse September Release! 

The Design Team will be previewing new sets Friday through Sunday and we'll be having a Blog Waltz for the release on Monday so I hope you'll keep stopping by!

And here's my preview card.  I used one of the wonderfully detailed cottages in this set, coloring it with Copics.  This stamp just screamed at me to layer it - so I stamped it three times, cut out the front with the pointed roof and then just the door and layered them over the first stamping with foam tape.  

I used this weeks Split Coast Sketch for my card.   You can see the layering here on this side view.  I put clear rhinestones on the tops of the chimneys so they look shimmery silver, two orange ones on the circle ornamentation on the base of the gingerbread trim and 3 black ones on the door.

 On the inside - I stamped one of the sentiments in black ink.  Then I stamped the decorative trees and walkway in grey ink - coloring the trees with a Copic.  I just LOVE that walkway - don't you??!!

And I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome three new DT members -  Becca, Kelly and Clare - please help us give them a warm welcome today!!  We're SO excited to have them join the team!

Here are links to all of the Design Team members who are previewing this lovely set today - I'm off to check them out - are you coming??!!   

• Anya Schrier
• Becca Feekan
• Claire Brennan
• Jennifer Holmes
• Julia Aston  You're here!
• Kate Whelan
• Kelly Schirmer
• Laurie Schmidlin
• Lynn Mercurio
• Niki Estes
• Sarah Martina Parker
• Tosha Leyendekker

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - A Cottage Home (to be released 9/19)
Paper:  white, Terracotta Tile - PTI, DP Pyrus Paper Pad - Basic Grey
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo black and London Fog
Accessories:  Foam tape, tiny twinkles - Taylored Expressions, wrinkled seam tape - Prairie Bird Boutique Etsy Shop, glue pen, Copics - N2, N6, E13, E19, E37, E59, YG11, Y00, Y35.

Two for the Holidays

I have two holiday cards to share today -  one for Halloween and one for Christmas!  Both were made for recent challenges over on Split Coast.  And both use stamps from Rubbernecker.

The Halloween card was made for the Inspiration Challenge on Saturday -  Anne, our hostess this week, had a fun Note Card site, The Rifle Paper Co., to inspire us.

I found this card that inspired me:

I knew my Rubbernecker Halloween Set #1 would be perfect to replicate this card!

A very CAS design - with the main image on the sponged oval Nestability and the others just stamped right on the card!  The pretty accordian ribbon is from Taylored Expressions.
This week I helped Color Challenge Hostess Peggy by making a sample card using her chosen colors of Pool Party, Peach Parfait and Poppy Parade. Her dessert option (an additional challenge if you want to) was to have an outdoor element, trees, butterflies, flowers etc.

I decided to make a Christmas card with these rather non-traditional colors! I finally broke down and bought sample packs of the SU In Colors so I'd know what the real colors look like (although we don't have to use SU - we can use anything close).

I embossed the Peach Parfait card base with my new Square Lattice Embossing folder, then just added a Pool Party panel stamped with Merry Christmas. I stamped this lovely Winter Trek image on a Poppy Parade panel and to finish it off added 3 blue rhinestones.

Be sure to stop by on Friday -  Claire and the Design Team are starting the Sneak Peeks for the long awaited Waltzingmouse September Release!   You won't want to miss it!!

Witching You:
Stamps: Rubbernecker - halloween #473

Paper: white, black -PTI
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Ranger Distress Bundled Sage
Accessories: oval Nestabilities, foam tape, Scor Tape, accordian  ribbon - Taylored Expressions, rhinestones - Kaiser

Merry Christmas:
Stamps: Rubbernecker - Merry Christmas #387-10, Winter Trek #444 SO (Stamp Oasis)

Paper: Pool Party, Peach Parfait, Poppy Parade - SU
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black on image, Memento Tuxedo Black on sentiment
Accessories: Square Lattice Embossing Folder - SU, Rhinestones - Kaiser

September WMS Christmas Card Challenge

I made this card for two challenges this week -  the Free 4 All over on Split Coast was to use paper piecing - the the Waltzingmouse Forum Christmas Card Challenge for September was to use acetate somewhere on your card.  It's SO hard to photograph acetate!  I hope you can see how I created this card from my three photos.

So - I made my card base acetate....  and I paper pieced my holly stampings and adhered them to the front of the card.   Then I adhered a piece of patterend paper on the inside of the card as well as my Labels Trio Spellbinders die cut sentiment.    In case you cannot read the sentiment - it says "Happy Holly Days"/

So when the card is closed it looks like the paper and sentiment are on the front.

These pretty stamps are from the Sewing Box Christmas set - all the images look like they have been sewn around the edges - so you don't have to!
 Lynn Mercurio is our hostess for the WMS Christmas challenges - and she asked us how many cards we have done so far and how many more we need to make.   So I checked my box and I have 31 cards made - whoo hoo!    And I probably need 40-50 - every year I delete some names and add some others so it's a moving target!

I try to make at least 3 cards each month when I do this challenge -  but the last two months I've only made one (whoops!)  but I'm doing pretty well!

Have you got any Christmas cards made yet??

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Sewing Box Hugs

Paper: Acetate, Scarlet Jewel, Textstyle Holiday Cheer - PTI
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
Accessories: Glue dots, Labels Trio - Spellbinders, 3/4" circle punch - EK Success

Sweet 'n Sassy Sweet Peek Day #4 - Jolly & Sweet!

Hi Friends!  are you loving Korin's Sweet Peeks so far???   You can see all of them over at the Sweet 'n Sassy blog....  Today I have a card using this fun new snowman/Christmas set 'Holly Jolly Christmas"

I used the fun little snowman and one of the many sentiments in this cute set.  My sketch is from this week's sketch challenge over at Split Coast (sort of!!)

If you scoot over to the Sweet 'n Sassy Blog - you'll find links to the other design Team members, Sandy, Taylor and Monika, who have made cards using this new set today!(available 9/15/11)

This weekend I'm busy, busy doing a major cleaning at my home -  my stamping/blogging friend - Charlene (Lilluvsstampin on SCS) is traveling from Michigan to Boston this week and will be staying with us for two nights!  whoo hoo!!  Nothing like having company to get you inspired to clean up!!

ETA:   Please see this note from Korin -  owner/designer of Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps:

"On September 7th, 2011 much of Eastern PA experienced major flooding due to continued rain over the course of several days. One of the communities affected by the flooding is my home town of Pine Grove. I grew up in this small rural town and it is very near to my heart. Many of my family and friends still reside there. My heart broke as I saw the devastation of the flood waters to this small community. Many homes and businesses have been completely destroyed and the clean up is sure to take months if not longer. I am burdened to help out in any way that I can, so I have designed this stamp set in honor of my home town, Pine Grove. I drew the "pine grove" image in honor of the town's name and I came up with the sentiments as I pondered what I might say to the flood victims....many of whom are my friends and family. "


All proceeds from the sale of this set will be donated to the Pine Grove Disaster Relief Fund & the Operation Hugs & Kisses Organization to help the many, many flood victims of Pine Grove.

Here is the link to the set: 

Stamps:  Sweet 'n Sassy - Holly Jolly Christmas
Paper:  white, Hawaiian Shore, Text Style Rustic Christmas - PTI
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories:  Copics - R05, B02, E35, B00, BG10, YG91,  Scallop circle and circle punches - SU, wrinkled seam Tape - Prairie Bird Boutique Etsy Shop, foam tape, rhinestones - Kaiser, Tiny Twinkles - Taylored Expressions

Sweet 'n Sassy Sweet Peek Day #3 - A Sweet Wish for Christmas!

I'm excited to share my card for Sweet Peek Day #3 of the September release of Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps!  Korin has created a wonderful Rhubarb's Christmas stamp set for us this month!

 I used Rhubarb holding a gingerbread man cookie from this set and layered him over my die cut gingerbread man!  I wove together two pieces (red and white) of jumbo rick rack to make my 'candy cane pole'.

Because my card is black - I lined the inside with a slightly smaller white card base - which allows me to stamp a sentiment, sign the card - and also covers the ends of the rick rack!

I hope you'll take a peek over at the Sweet 'n Sassy Blog to find links to fellow DT members,

Taylor, Bridget and Jessica who are also showing Sweet Peeks of  Rhubarb's Christmas set today!

I'll be back tomorrow with another Sweet Peek so I hope you'll stop by!

Stamps:  Sweet 'n Sassy - Rhubarb's Christmas (available 9/15)
Paper:  Tan Bazzill, White & True Black - PTI,  DP Bo Bunny Harvest Dot.
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Distess Antique Linen
Accessories:  Scor Tape, foam tape, glue Pen, jumbo rick rack -Wrights, Square Lattice embossing folder - SU, gingerbread die - Tim Holtz Alterations, black gelly roll pen - Sakura, Copics E33, E35, E53, YR24, 100, R14, Modern Label punch SU, scallop oval punch - SU, rhinestones - Kaiser, tiny twinkles - Taylored Expressions.