Sunday, October 30, 2016

What's Up My Witches?!

We don't usually get many trick or treaters on Halloween, but I decorated anyway. I like to see it when I come home! I really need to paint my front door, but it goes with the spooky decor.

[caption id="attachment_3300" align="alignnone" width="1893"]halloween-decor-2016 It took me two Halloweens to finish my witch hat, but I ♥ it! Wire mesh template I designed and covered with cheesecloth and plaster of Paris, then painted and decorated.[/caption]

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I even let it overflow to the dining room...

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[caption id="attachment_3547" align="alignnone" width="3264"]img_2706 Check out this link for the spooky crystal balls "how to"![/caption]

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Then I went to visit the Chapman Blondies and helped spread a little Halloween spirit there too!

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So worth it to see this kid excited when we turned the lights on!

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Since I was in Halloween mode, I saw these on Pinterest and thought I would make a t-shirt for Halloween...

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I should have just ordered one and been done, but NOOOOOOO!!! I wanted to make one (rolling my eyes).  I didn't make a t-shirt, but I did make a card! I had to keep that witch theme going!

[caption id="attachment_3521" align="alignnone" width="3299"]whats-up-my-witches-card-097e JFFRS Bubble,  Bubble, Toil and Trouble stamp  stamped and embosses with black ink, then painted with Perfect Pearls mixed with water. Sentiment created in Photoshop Elements and printed on Club Scrap cardstock. The sentiment was highlighted with a Perfect Pearls pen and dusted with Perfect Pearls to match the stamped image.[/caption]

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Jeez, it looks like Halloween threw up over here! I sure hope we get some trick or treaters on Halloween, or I will be the one to eat all the candy!

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Challenges entered:

Tuesday Throwdown #317 Add a Border

The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge #29

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The City Crafter Challenge #335 Hallo-ween

Fab Funky Challenges Blog #324 Celebrate Halloween

That's Crafty Challenges Friday the 13th Part 2
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Sunday, October 23, 2016

You Say Witch Like It's a Bad Thing!

My sister would fling this childish insult at me when I would pull big sister rank on her as children, "You are a witch with a "B""! I was a good kid most of the time, but we all have a dark side...MUHAHAHAHAHA! Not all witches are bad. There's Wendy the Good Witch from Marvel Comics, Glinda from the Wizard of Oz and of course Harry Potter's  Professor McGonagall.

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This Mae West quote was the perfect sentiment for the Just For Fun Rubber Stamp (JFFRS) The Good Witch!

[caption id="attachment_media-2" align="alignnone" width="3456"]029E.jpg JFFRS The Good Witch, Tiny Black Kat, and Mae West quote. Club Scrap cardstock. Perfect Pearls mixed with water to color the witch image. [/caption]

If the broom fits...RIDE IT!

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Click here to leave a comment on my blog post Les Chats Noirs for a chance to be in the drawing for a JFFRS Candy Corn Fence stamp,  then click here to join the JFFRS Halloween Challenge for a chance to win a JFFRS gift certificate. Winner of the Candy Corn Fence stamp will be announced on my blog on Saturday October 29, 2016. Go make something Fa-BOO-lous!

Challenges entered:

All Sorts Challenge Blog # 386 Sparkle and Shine

Sweet Stampin' Challenge Blog "Favorite Color Combo"

Just Us Girls #366 Photo Week 

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Friday, October 21, 2016

Les Chats Noirs!

I haven't decorated for Halloween in a few years. I always decorated when my boys were little, but when my youngest started high school and then football started...well, decorating for holidays took a back seat! I was inspired to decorate this year after I received my Just For Fun Rubber Stamps (JFFRS) in the mail. These two are my favorites...

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A few weeks ago I made some Shrinky Dink plastic earrings for my JFF Design Team post with the Stitched Mouthed Jack-o-Lantern stamp. This week, the Candy Corn Fence was begging to be stamped!  I started tooling around Pinterest looking for Halloween scenes ideas and this popped up, Le Chat Noir!

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I remembered I had an awesome full moon photo I had taken with my DSLR camera and the Tiny Black Kat stamp image from JFFRS... combine these with the candy corn fence...I love when things start falling into place! Le Chat Noir was the perfect sentiment for my card idea, but I wanted a trio of cats to sit on the fence. Somewhere in the recesses of my hazy memory of elementary school French, I knew that I need the plural version but couldn't grasp it. I sent a text to my aunt (a French teacher) and waited for a response, not realizing that it was almost midnight in Europe where they are on vacation! After she sent the correct phrasing, I edited my moon photo in Photoshop Elements and added the text.

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In my rush to print,  I left off the "s"on noirs. Of course I didn't realize it until the next morning, AFTER I was finished. Lesson learned, don't make things when I'm tired!

The moon needed a little something, so I stamped some black embossed bats from JFFRS!

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I wanted the three cats' tails to be different, so I clipped them off when I cut them out and added tiny pieces of black pipe cleaners. I painted the fence with Perfect Pearls mixed with water for a nice shimmery effect!

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And here are Les Chats Noirs bathing in the moonlight!

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I have a challenge for you...leave a comment on this post for a chance to be in the drawing for a Candy Corn Fence stamp of your own, then click here to join the JFFRS Halloween Challenge for a chance to win a JFFRS gift certificate. You don't have to use a JFF Stamp to be considered for the gift certificate,  but if you DO use a JFF Stamp you will receive a 2nd entry into the drawing doubling your chance to win!! Winner of the Candy Corn Fence stamp will be announced here on my blog on Saturday October 29, 2016. Go make something Fa-BOO-lous!

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Friday, October 7, 2016

They're Not Just For Kids Anymore!

In 1979, I was in the fourth grade. We had just moved home to Alexandria and I was making new friends. I joined the Girl Scouts troop at my elementary school and started attending the meetings. Mind you, I am NOT the outdoorsy type. I don't mind camping as long as I can shower, but sleep in a tent on the ground?! All new to me. The first campout was a little stressful.  Black mark #1. The troop leader made spaghetti over an open fire and used my brand new Girl Scout knife to cut the onions! I HATE onions! #2. I was assigned latrine duty. Pine Sol + an old broom to "clean" the outhouse. Are you kidding me?! That place was full of spiders and a garden snake! No way was I going to use THOSE facilities.  #3 The girl next to me wet the bed and cried all night and we heard an animal prowling around the tent most of the night. I went home hungry, tired and constipated!

Mom made me attend the next meeting and I wasn't happy about it. Until...they brought out the Shrinky Dinks (SD's) for crafts! Yeah! Now they were speaking my language! I think my dad still has the Snoopy and Woodstock keychain that I traced off of the cover of my Trapper Keeper! Girl Scouts wasn't my thing, but I had discovered crafting!

While I was perusing the aisles at Hobby Lobby over the weekend, I found the modern version of Shrinky Dinks. Yes, I bought all four kinds. This is what I made with them!



(Keep reading if you want details or click here to grab this cute stamp for yourself at Just for Fun Rubber Stamps!)

I used the "frosty" SD's and colored pencils. I stamped the Stitched Mouth Jack-o-Lantern with Staz On ink on the shiny side and colored with the colored pencils on the rough side.



After they were colored, I cut them out with detail scissors and punched little holes at the top with a 1/8 inch sized hole punch.





Then the magic happened, I put them in the oven and watched them shrink! When they were cool, I sprayed them with a coat of Mod Podge acrylic sealer so that the color wouldn't rub off. I added some jump rings and earring hooks and they were ready to wear!


I also made the little box to gift them in, even though I gifted them to myself!



I cut some panels to cover the sides and lid of the box and decorated them with the JFF Stamptangle Tall Pumpkin and gold embossing powder.







Ready to gift for Halloween, or put them on immediately! (I put them on immediately!)



Come visit the JFF blog to see more Fall/Halloween creations by the JFF Design team and get in the spirit by linking up your own spooky creations to the Just For Fun October Challenge - Halloween!!  You might just win a JFF gift certificate to buy these stamps for yourself!

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Wednesday, October 5, 2016

The Evolution of a Card

We like to celebrate birthdays at our office. Who doesn't like cake and dip?!



Shirley has a knack for birthday decor, and her chicken dip is DIVINE. It was a "bon voyage" birthday party! Karlyn's going cruising in style with a monogrammed bag full of goodies and gift certificate for a mani/pedi!

It all started with a napkin.



And then it became a card.

 

[caption width="2448" id="attachment_3188" align="alignnone"] Club Scrap card stock cut with Plantin Schoolbook and Splish Splash Cricut cartridges. [/caption] 



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My huge stash of "scrap crap" comes in handy sometimes!

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Challenges entered:

Love to Craft Challenge Blog ~ Anything Goes!

Craft Your Passion Challenges ~ Anything Goes!

Addicted to Stamps Challenge Blog ~ Clean and Simple

Cute Card Thursday ~ Anything Goes!
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Sunday, October 2, 2016

Look Out World! She's 21!

21 is a HUGE milestone. It means you are an ADULT and no longer dependent on your parents, AND you can legally buy alcohol, drink it and go to the casino. Hmmmmm...turning 21 can get you in trouble!

This sweet little angel turned 21 yesterday!

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She's kind, smart, funny and she's  a WONDERFUL big sister to ALL of her baby sisters (including the ones in her college sorority) and little brother!

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But,  I will always think of her as this sweet Morgan...

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One of these is on its way to her mailbox with a 21st birthday surprise inside!

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I used this card sketch from the Club Scrap (CS) Idea Deck. It's so easy to follow, no waste and the cutting instructions are on the back

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[caption id="attachment_3109" align="alignnone" width="533"]morgans-21st-birthday-card-2016-051erz CS card stock, sentiment and stencil.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3117" align="alignnone" width="530"]morgans-21st-birthday-card-2016-043erz CS card stock, sentiment and stencil.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3114" align="alignnone" width="533"]morgans-21st-birthday-card-2016-049erz Ruby Red Slippers Stickles on the martini olive. Ranger copper foil and fine detail silver embossing powder.[/caption]

Cheers to 21 years!

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Challenges entered:

Club Scrap 10-2016 Idea Deck Challenge

PDE Linky Party Ch#140 Anything Goes

That's Crafty Challenges ~ All of a Sparkle Challenge

LTCCB #3 Anything Goes

Paper Sweeties Inspiration #48 October 2016

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