Trick or Treat Tilda, Jack O'Lantern...Happy Halloween!!!!

I want to wish all my crafty friends, out there in the blogosphere, a very Happy Halloween!!!

My Husband, Chris, is a very talented artist and every year for as long as we have been together, we have always had a very creatively carved Jack O'Lanterns!!! If I remember correctly, our very first Halloween together (over 15 years ago) we had a, Calvin and Hobbs Jack O'Lantern and some other pumpkins that were a little more scary!!!

Then when we had kids, we had more kid friendly pumpkins!!! Our pumpkin is always very popular with all the kids on Halloween night. Many people ask how Chris carved the pumpkin and if he used a stencil (no) or where we bought it! They are always very impressed and very surprised when we tell them that he just draws a rough sketch on the pumpkin and then starts carving with an paring knife! Chris has carved pumpkins with various cartoon & Disney characters, like, The Berenstain Bears, Jasmine and The Genie and Tinkerbell and Captain Hook.

Well, this year I asked for a special pumpkin, just for me, and this is what Chris made for me....Tilda, all dressed up for Halloween, I just love it!!! I think Trick or Treat Tilda looks fabulous!!!!

Well, I hope you have a fun and safe time tonight trick or treating!!!

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Here are other pics of some of the pumpkins Chris has carved....Tinkerbell and Captain Hook!!!

Sketch Saturday # 22, BG #8, CCT # 33...Happy Holidays!!!

I combined 3 challenges today....it is very cool when that works out,eh?! I am glad to finally enter the Basic Grey Challenge!!! I am a huge BG fan and use BG pp all the time but it just hasn't worked out, 'till today, YAY! I also, made this card with the fab sketch at Sketch Saturday and for this week's challenge over at Cute Card Thursday, to use stars at night!!!
I have been dieing to use this new technique that I learned from my Stampin Up! rep and high school friend, Belinda. I went to her open house a month or so ago and she did a make'n'take using the "Cracked Glass" technique. Well, I thought it was just fabulous and really wanted to try. Well, my other friend, Shannon, just bought some Magnolia stamps from Phebe...I wonder who "enabled" her to do that...ummm, yeah, that would be me, lol!!!!

She got this adorable stamp, Edwin's Snowman, and she so very kindly let me stamp him (and many others) on my Georgia Pacific paper with my Memento ink in Rich Cocoa. I then cut him out with my large Circle Nestie and coloured him with my Copics. I distressed around the edges with my Tim Hotlz inks (frayed burlap, brushed corduroy & aged mahogany) and ink applicator tool. Then I masked him and stamped my new Hero Arts, French Script, stamp with brushed corduroy on the image.

Next, I did the "cracked glass" technique. I applied three coats of clear embossing powder, heating in between each application, of course, and put the image in the freezer. When it was cold I removed it and bent it different directions to get the cracks. I wanted a few more cracks, so, back it went into the freezer and then I cracked it some more. When I was happy with the cracks, I then took a cheap dollar store foam brush and pushed the same 3 distress inks into the crack lines.

I used left over Figgy Pudding BG paper from last year's Christmas cards and distressed it and inked it and crumpled it and ruffed up the edges with my Tim Hotlz Paper distress tool thingy. Oh, I almost forgot, I used my new Stampin' Up! scalloped border punch...very cool tool, smile!!! I added some faux stitching with my Kelly Panacci stitch acrylic stamps. I cut several QK stars and inked them too and the QK name plate and stamped the sentiment from the Imaginisce Snag'em stamps. I added some Crystal Stickels to the stars and some velvet ribbon from the dollar store.....phew!!! There you have it..."and Bob's your Uncle"...as my brother would say, lol!!!! One, very distressed but super cute card...I think, anyway!!! I am really happy with how it turned out and I will use this cracked glass technique again...just love it!!!!

So, I have received two awards and I am so bad at posting them, not that I don't appreciate them, I sooooooooooo do!!!! It's just a time thing....ya know.....with stamping and card making and blogging, who has time to eat, let alone, do laundry and feed the kiddos, lol!!!!

Well, I received this award today from the uber talented, creative genius, herself, Maddy. Okay, I stumbled upon Maddy's blog a few weeks ago, while blog hopping, and all I can say is...WOW!!! She is soooooo talented and so sweet (and I love her video tutorials and her accent is so cool...love it!)...I am a super huge fan now!!!

Then, this morning I checked out her boyfriend, Calv's blog too and he is also very, very talented and very, very funny!!!! Well, I had some good chuckles reading his blog this morning with a cuppa...what a hoot!!! I think I am gonna be an Inked Fruit follower now!!! Thanks so much, Maddy, for this award!!!

and I received this fab award from Bumblebee Creations...she has a great blog (love the music) with wonderful creations and a super sweet gal...go check out her blog!!!



Well, I am suppose to pass these on to 6 or 7 others but I just can't pick 6 or 7 cuz I love sooooooooooo many blogs! So, I would like to give these awards to all those kind peeps who have left comments on my blog over the last week or so!!! Now, I don't know if this is against the "award rules" but hey, I'm "inking on the edge" and doing it any ways, smile!!!!

Thanks for stopping by today and havin' a wee look-see!!!!! I have to go be a good mum and a good wife now and tidy, do laundry, and feed the kiddos, smile!!!

Hugs,

FS # 25...Imaginisce Winter Wishes & Happy Holidays!!!

Well, this is going to be a super quick post as I need to get my butt in gear. I am going to The Scrapbook Academy today to do a make'n'take card for the Breast Cancer Crop! So I wont' be rambling on endlessly, like I normally do, lol!


I made four cards using this weeks FS sketch by Claudia. It is a fabulous sketch and really great to use for mass production,smile!!! I used Imaginisce Snag'em stamps which are a great buy...they are like $1.5o each and I used the cor-ordinating paper.

The cards came together very quickly cuz there isn't a lot of colouring to do on the images.

I used my Archival Brilliance platinum ink to do the background stamping on the main image to add a little more interest and the embellishments are just made by punching out circles of the pp which has lots of glitter on it. I inked the edges of everything and pop dotted the circle punches.

The ribbon was an after thought. I had stamped the sentiment right on the image but flubbed it up, so, the ribbon is covering up my bad stamping job and I really like the ribbon there now.

So, there you have it! 4 cards quick and easy and relatively inexpensive to make and I think they are still darn cute!!! I think I might make a card holder to co-ordinate and give this as a gift set!

Thanks for stopping by and having a wee-look see! I also, want to thank everyone for the awesome comments left on my blog. It really is so great to read them all!!! It makes it so much more fun to make cards and share them when you get such encouraging comments. Also, I have received an award and been tagged and I haven't posted them yet but I will do that tomorrow,ok!!!

later!

Sketch Saturday #21 and WOJ # 4...I'll be your A-N-G-E-L!!!!

I got up this morning bright and early and popped on the computer to see what challenges I would play along with today. Then, I went down to my scrapbooking room and started making this card for the WOJ challenge #4 and combined it with Sketch Saturday #21.

Well, things didn't go as planned, I am long time migraineur and I often get sidelined by these nasty, nasty headaches! Today was no exception, I got a migraine while making this card and it was a doozie, so, I had to stop and take my "drugs", eat, lie down and put the heating pad on my neck. Oh, and my sweet hubby rubbed my neck and head for me too. Finally, it lifted enough for me to finish it up and here it is!!!

For this card I really wanted to use this WOJ Guardian Angel Blowing Hearts stamp but I ran out of EZ mount. Well, these stamps are such high quality and are so deeply etched, that I just attached it to my block with some temporary adhesive and it stamped beautifully! There, that is my little plug for these WOJ stamps they are so beautiful...just love 'em!!!

I often use sentiments that are inspired by my favourite songs. So, I have been musing about making a card inspired by the new Natasha Bedingfiled's song "Angel"..I just love it! I wanted the card to be soft and romantic but it needed to be made with autumn colours. So, I used some new Daisey Bucket paper and I think they are very autumnal, at least I hope they are!?

I stamped the main image on Georgia Pacific paper with Tuxedo Black Memento ink and coloured it with my Copic Markers. I Used white acrylic paint for the highlights and added some glitter with a Sakura stardust pen and sponged pinkish-red Metallic Rub-Ons on the edges with my Tim Holtz Ink applicator tool!

I printed the sentiment on my computer and cut the nameplate out on my QK Silhouette. I added a few Prima flowers with big MM brads and glittered them up with some Crystal Stickles.

Thanks for stopping by and having a wee look-see!

Later!

FS # 24 and CCT # 32.....You Rock My Socks!!!

Well, I finally was able to play along with Friday Sketchers this week! I was going through a wee bit of withdrawal there, smile! I haven't done a FS card in two weeks, my goodness, what was wrong with me, lol! So, I combined two challenges this week, as the CCT challenge is to use autumn colours and I am loving this BG Mellow 6x6 pad, so I thought it would be perfect!!!!
This will be a brief post this afternoon. Hubby is having his hockey pool this evening and I need to tidy and vacuum and I spent way too long fiddling with this card....uugghh! It didn't turn out how I envisioned it....just a titch disappointed with it but I spent so much time on it, I thought I would enter in the challenges any way!

I made the card base 6X6 with some Bazzill Basics yellow cardstock and used pp from my new 6X6 pad of BG, Mellow! I stamped Tilda on Pacific Georgia paper and then masked her and stamped the mushrooms from the Magnolia Fall stamp club and the birds. I used my Memento, Rich Cocoa ink for a change and coloured the image with my Copcis. I cut the main image with my largest square Nestibilites and embossed it and then I used the Tim Holtz ink applicator tool and Brushed Corduroy Distress ink to sponge the edges.

I really had a hard time cutting a circle this morning. I messed up my first one with my Provo Craft Curvy Cutter. I think that thing is going to end up in the bin one of these days. Then I managed to selvage the second one...uurrgghhh!!! I inked all the edges of the pp and cut and embossed the scalloped mat for the main image with my largest scalloped Nestibilites die.

I then added some mossy green twill that I had in my stash and cut all the die cuts; the peace heart, circle and folk heart circle and tag with my QK Squeeze. The sentiment is from a new CC designs sentiment set that I got from All That Scraps...love it! I thought this one was the perfect sentiment for this card, as I just love Tilda's slouch socks!!!

Well, there you have it!!! Whata ya think!? I guess it is starting to grow on me, smile!!!

Thanks for stopping by and having a wee look!!! Hope you have a great weekend! I gotta clean like mad now!!!

later!

Hey Chick...and MFT Birthday Wishes!!

I have two cards to share with you today! I made these samples for the water colouring with Distress Inks demo that I did at the Scrapbook Academy last weekend. I think they are both very cute and was very happy with how they turned out. Both cards are very simple in terms of the layout but I think that is what makes them so pretty!

For this card I made a 6X6 base from some light purple Bazzill Basics cardstock and used my DCWV Nana's Nursery Boy pp pad. I stamped Farmer Tilda on water colour paper with Black Staz-On ink and coloured her in with my Distress Inks. I also, stamped the Magnolia birdies and coloured them in too. The layout of the card is very simple but I really like it and I like all the open space. I stamped the MFT sentiment on a tag cut with 2X2 QK die I also cut the photo corners with my QK Squeeze. I added lots of Stickles and Sakura stardust pen for some sparkle and some ribbon!

The inside sentiment is printed on the computer using my favourite font Wendy Medium. I changed the colour so that when I printed it, it would match the purple ink I used for the sentiment on the front of the card. I then traced over it with my Sakura stardust pen.

The design for this card is also very simple but I think it is still very pretty! I didn't think I would like the MFT stamps coloured in with the Distress inks but, surprisingly enough, I really like how this image turned out. I used by BG 6X6 pad Euphoria pp on this card. I just wish I didn't colour the icing orange...wasn't paying attention there...duh!

Well, thanks for stopping by and having a wee look! Hope you have a great day!!

Edwin with Broom sends Autumn Wishes....Kimmie and Tara's Monthly Challenge # 2!!!!

Well, yesterday was an absolutely beautiful day her in Ontario. It was like 23-25 degrees all day. It was so warm I wore my carpis and Viking sandals (love them...so comfy). It was a little odd though, wearing my summer clothes and seeing everyone out and about in shorts and t-shirts, juxtaposed against the beautiful fall colours. Well, I think that will be the last day we have like that as fall is definitely upon us.

We had a yummy Thanksgiving dinner at my parents yesterday and poor Chris worked hard all day on the interlocking but we can see the finish line nearing. It will look so beautiful when it is all done, that is for sure! We brought Chris back a doggie bag, so he got some turkey too...don't worry, I'm not that mean,lol!

Well, I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving weekend with friends and family, enjoyed the beautiful weather and feasted on lots of turkey and pumpkin pie...YUM-O!!!
Now lets talk cards....Kim and I have another friendly challenge to share with you today! This month we agreed to use a boy stamp and I suggested Edwin with Broom by Magnolia. He is my favourite Edwin stamp....just love is puffy vest...isn't he so cute?! I can't wait to pop on over to Kim's' blog and see what she has created with him...I just know I will love it!!! Her cards are always soooooo fabulous!!!!
Well, I have a confession to make, I was more than a little anxious about this month's challenge. First, I was worried with all the landscaping work that is going on around here and Thanksgiving, that I wouldn't find the time to make the card...eeekk! I thought I was going to have to pull an all-nighter, lol! Then of course there is the whole thing about having a monthly challenge with Kraftin' Kimmie, OMG!!! That is just a titch nerve racking, don't ya think?!!! She is like a stampin' superstar!!! Then, I thought my craftin' mojo had all but dried up. But its all good...all good I tell ya!!! I think I pulled it off, phew!!!! Actually, I am quite happy with how this card turned out! Whata ya think?!

I have been doing a lot of water colouring with Distress Inks this past week and really enjoyed it! So, I thought I would colour Edwin with distress inks while I had them out on my worktable. I stamped him on water colour paper but this time I used my Timber Brown Staz-On ink. I really like how it turned out and will have to do it again. I thought I would grudge up Edwin and make him look like he got a little dirty working out in the yard. Then, I used my Tim Holtz ink applicator tool and sponged around the edges with Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink and stamped the zig zag stitch all around the edges with my Kelly Panacci acrylic stamps and the Brushed Corduroy ink. I also added a little sparkle with a Sakura stardust pen to Edwin's wings.

I made the card base 6X6 from a sheet of Kraft cardstock and used BG 6X6 pad called Mellow...I just picked it up at Micheals the other day...love it!!! I decided to do a colour-blocking layout and sponged and stamped the stitching on the different panels. For embellishments I used some die cuts....what else, smile! So, I downloaded the new acorn Digital Design from the QK Silhouette website and cut two acorns and the tag out on my Silhouette. I then cut several leaves with a 2X2 QK die and inked all the edges. I made a little cluster of leaves and the acorns in the top left corner and stamped the Magnolia sentiment on the tag and added a brad from the dollar store.

Then I was feeling like it needed a little something else. I now know, that this is not a good feeling to get, smile! It never fails, when I get this feeling and go ahead and add that missing "something" I either end up messing it up or I don't like what I did. Well, I stamped an Autumn Leaves border stamp that I got at Wal-Mart on the top panel....not sure I like it and it is a bit crooked too...RATS!! See it never fails, lol!

Well, after all that fretting about this month's K&T challenge, I think every thing went pretty smoothly and really, I had a ton of fun making this card, smile!!! Thanks, Kim, for playing along with me again!!! Are you up for challenge #3?!

Thanks for stopping by and having a wee look-see!!!

Oh Fudge....Berry Happy Belated B-Day!!!

Last week I was doing a lot of water colouring to prep for a demo that I did on Saturday at the Scrapbook Academy! I also, made a belated B-day card for one of my bestest friends, Dana. Ok, how embarrassing is that...I missed her B-day and here I am making all theses cards and I didn't make a card for her....shame! So, I coloured in cross-stitched Tilda for Dana with my Distress inks and made her this belated B-day card.

Dana is a cross-stitcher, scrapbooker, and card maker/stamper...ok let's just say she is one crafty girl, smile! She is also a fabulous Mary Kay consultant too, wink!!!! I visited her Saturday night for tea and hand delivered my late card with birthday wishes. We visited and I know she really loved the card and said she appreciates all the little details that I put into it for her! Ahhh, what a sweetie and I even ended up leaving her house with gifts!!! She RAKed me with three fabulous Heidi Swapp word stamps (Memoreis, love and cherish) and some metal CD tins that I wanted to store my Nesties in ....thanks, Dana...you Rock!!!
I made the card base 6X6 out of some dark chocolaty Bazzill Bling cardstock and used my new 6x6 pad of The Glitter Sweet Stack by DCWV. I used a MFT sentiment and stamped it on a tag I cut with QK 2X2 die. Then I added a few prima flowers here and there, attached them with MM brads and added some Stickles and Sakura stardust pen to add some sparkle...it looks much more shimmery IRL!
I printed my inside sentiment on the computer using my favourite font, Wendy Medium, to match the MFT sentiment on the front of the card!

Thanks for stopping by and having a wee look and make sure you drop by tomorrow to see what Kimmie and I have created for this month's "Kim and Tara challenge"!!!

WOJ Challenge # 3 and CCT Challenge # 31...Charlotte & Buttons!!!

Well, last week I had such high hopes to do several cards for the various challenges that I love to participate in but things didn't turn out how I had hoped. I had such a busy week at work and we are under construction here at my house! Hubby has been interlocking our driveway, the walkway to the front of the house and around to the backyard and the patio. It is a huge job and we have kinda bitten of more that we can chew with this DIY job.
He is doing such a fabulous job though and it is such backbreaking work...poor guy! He is so exhausted but he is almost done and he should be very proud of his work. It looks beautiful!!!

Well, I think I might have better luck this weekend partaking in the various challenges. This weekend is the Thanksgiving long weekend here in Canada. So, I will have some extra time for stamping fun in between helping hubby with the interlocking and eating turkey, smile!!!

For this card I combined two challenges in one. It is such a great way to try to participate in all the fabulous challenges out there in the blogosphere. I just loved the sketch for this week's WOJ Challenge and I decided to combine it with this week's challenge at, Cute Card Thursday Challenge, to use Buttons & Bows!

My friend, Kimmie, at Kraftin' Kimmie's Korner, once blogged about how she loves to give her stampin' characters names and she christened Charlie's dog, Chester, very fitting I thought. Well, When I was making this cards I started calling Charlotte's kitty friend Buttons...cute huh?!

So, I stamped Winter Charlotte on Georgia Pacific paper with my new Memento Tuxedo Black ink pad and coloured her and Buttons,smile in with my Copic markers. I added some crystal Stickle to her muff, furry boots and the pom-pom on her tuque. (Wondering what a tuque is, well that is Canadian speak for a knitted winter hat usually with a pom-pom on it! smile)

For this card I made the base 6X6 out of some reddish/hot pink (not sure what the colour is really) Bazzill Bling cardstock. I went through my stash and found this old American Craft paper. I love AC paper and I have horded a ton if it over the years so this put a very small dent in my stash. I combined it with some new Christmas/winter AC ribbon that I got at Michaels. I kinda deviated a bit from the sketch and moved the flowers to the upper right corner (I hope that is ok) but it worked out better that way for me, smile. I added a a few smaller Prima flowers and put some buttons here and there. I must say my bow looks rather pathetic...I am so bad a tying bows...uuuggh...all thumbs I tell ya! Buttons has a much cuter bow tied around her neck so maybe that will count towards the challenge, smile. The sentiment is a Studio G stamp that I picked up at Michaels and I traced over it with my Sakura Startdust pen to add just a little more sparkle!

Well, there you have it!!! Now I have to get back to my scrapbooking/stamping room and make a few more cards.

Be sure to come back on Tuesday, as, Kimmie and I will be posting this months challenge and I have a few other cards to share too. I made them for a demo that I did yesterday at the Scrapbook Academy on colouring with Distress inks. It was great fun and I met several lovely and talented ladies...*hands waving*!!! I think I have got some more ladies hooked on stamping and colouring in their stamps with distress inks, smile!!!

Thanks for stopping by and having a wee look-see...Oh and Happy Turkey day to all my fellow craftin' Canucks!!!

Our little Snow Angel....scrapbooking layout for Scrapbook Academy DT!

I thought I would change things up a bit and share some scrapbooking pages with you! This two page spread is something I worked on last week for the Scrapbook Academy DT. I was so happy when my very good friend Julie agreed to send some pics of her adorable daughter, Olivia, playing in the snow. They were perfect for this project! I had them printed in black and white. I also had 2x3 prints made as I love using pics in different sizes on my pages.

I used new Harmonie patterned paper and embellishments. This is a new Canadian scrapbooking company based in Quebec. Their paper, coordinating ribbon, Peel Off stickers and embellishments are so gorgeous. I really enjoyed working with this line and the pages came together so easily because all the of the elements coordinated so nicely. I used the Boule de Neige collection and Core'dinations Cardstock. The colours in these patterned paper are so beautiful...I just love the winter fresh colours.

I cut the title and flourishes on my Quickutz Silhouette and the scallop border is a QK 4X4 border die. The scalloped border was a nice "home" for me to add some journaling with Mellisa Frances rub-ons. One of the great features of the Core'dinations cardstock is that you can sand it, tear it or distress it and a coordinating colour shows through. I sanded the scalloped border strips before I applied the rub-ons.

I traced over the title and flourishes with my Sakura stardust pen to add some extra sparkle and it looks really cool when the light catches it. I also, added the silver Peel-Off stickers here and there and used the coordinating buttons and acrylic snowflakes as accents.

I wanted to add some journaling. So, I asked Julie to tell me about the story behind the photos. I firmly believe that scrapbooking is about telling stories. I printed the journaling and cut it into strips and placed it on the photos.

So, there you have it!!! I hope you enjoyed looking at these scrapbooking pages and I hope to take pics of some of the other pages I have completed and share them with you too!

Thanks for stopping by!