Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

I was inspired by the SplitcoastStampers Free For All Challenge (F4A140) to use "Creepy Crawlies."  The layout is for the Freshly Made Sketches this week (FMS59).

This sketch could be used for any theme of color combo.  It is a great sketch to be inspired by.  I decided that, considering the date, Halloween was the perfect choice.

Purple, orange, and green are traditional colors for Halloween, and they are perfect colors for the spiders.  The stripes and scallops give this card a fun feeling.

Papers: Very Vanilla (#101650), Pumpkin Pie (#105117), Gumball Green (#126840), Elegant Eggplant (#105126), Basic Black (#121045), Howlstooth and Scaringbone (#126906)
Inks: Pumpkin Pie (#126945), Gumball Green (#126861), Elegant Eggplant (#126969), StazOn (#101406)
Stamps: Googly Ghouls (#128063)
Other Supplies: Scallop Circle Punch (#127811), Big Shot (#113439), Perfect Polka Dot Folder (#117335), Adorning Accents Edgelits (#125595), SNAIL Adhesive (#104332), Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430), Gumball Green Stitched Satin Ribbon (#126848)

Howlstooth and Scaringbone DSP (#126906)

Scallop Circle Punch (#127811)

LAST CHANCE!
It's only October, but Stampin' Claus is coming to town! Get a FREE Festive Paper-Piercing Pack when you purchase the Ornament Keepsakes Set and Candlelight Christmas Specialty Designer Series Paper.  See website for details.

Technique Tuesday: Punch Art

Punch Art is basically just using punched shapes to create art. This cute little frog and his lily pad were made with several ovals and circles.  Some sponging on the edges of each punched piece brings him to life.

This sweet elephant is spending his day in the sun blowing bubbles.  A collection of circles with some hearts for ears makes a perfect pachyderm.  Again, the sponging really gives the feeling of three dimensions.

This lovely lady was not an original idea.  Using MANY butterflies to make the dress gives an elegant multi-layered gown. The embossing on the scalloped oval adds the illusion of hair. 

For other punch art ideas, please see these previous posts:

• Mr. and Mrs. Claus
• Halloween Icons
• Stranded Pirate
• Teacher's Apple

It takes spending some time with your shapes to find the right ones, but once you put it together it can be very satisfying.  Punch Art is one of my favorite forms of Craft Therapy.

Papers: Whisper White (#100730), Bashful Blue (#105120), Old Olive (#100702), Basic Black (#121045), Basic Gray (#121044), So Saffron (#105118), Lucky Limeade (#122926), Calypso Coral (#122925), Early Espresso (#119686)
Inks: Old Olive (#126953), Basic Black (#126980), Basic Gray (#126981), Bashful Blue (#126961), Calypso Coral (#126983)
Stamps: None
Other Supplies: Signo Gel Pen (#105021), Pearls (#119247), Large Oval (#119855), XL Oval (#119859), 1/2" Circle (#119869), 3/4" Circle (#119873), Boho Blossoms (#119858), Scallop Oval (#119856), Itty Bitty Shapes (#118309), Big Shot (#113439), Circles #2 Die (#114526), Adorning Accents Edgelits (#125595), Hearts Framelits (#125599), Elegant Lines Folder (#119277), Beautiful Wings Embosslit (#118138)

Beautiful Wings Embosslit (#118138)

Boho Blossoms Punch (#119858)

ONLY TWO DAYS LEFT!
It's only October, but Stampin' Claus is coming to town! Get a FREE Festive Paper-Piercing Pack when you purchase the Ornament Keepsakes Set and Candlelight Christmas Specialty Designer Series Paper.  See website for details.

Fab Friday #05

This week's Fab Friday Challenge is a Sketch Challenge.  This card uses classic holiday colors and one of my favorite stamp set, Apothecary Art.

This clean and simple sketch has so many possibilities.  Using the Labels Framelits for the main shape adds elegance to this card.

Many more possibilities are available when you color your rhinestones and pearls.  This card uses pearls that were colored with the Gold Stampin' Dazzle Marker for a little something special.

Papers: Very Vanilla (#101650), Cherry Cobbler (#119685), Lucky Limeade (#122926), Festival of Prints DSP (#126904)
Inks: Cherry Cobbler (#126966), Lucky Limeade (#126984)
Stamps: Curly Cute (#120510), Apothecary Art (#125525)
Other Supplies: Big Shot (#113439), Labels Framelits (#125598), Petals-a-Plenty Folder (#116824), Pearls (#119247), Stampin' Dazzle Marker (#128979)

Apothecary Art (#125525)

Festival of Prints DSP (#126904)

ONLY A FEW DAYS LEFT!
It's only October, but Stampin' Claus is coming to town! Get a FREE Festive Paper-Piercing Pack when you purchase the Ornament Keepsakes Set and Candlelight Christmas Specialty Designer Series Paper.  See website for details.

Save the Date: October 29th

This Monday, October 29th there are several new promotions from Stampin' Up! that are very exciting!

Sell-A-Stamp Spooktacular

For one day only, you can get 15% off almost every stamp in the current catalogs including:

• Background stamps
• Personalized Name Stamps
• Cookie Press Stamps
• Single-image Stamps 

This DOES NOT include

• Hostess Sets
• Bundled Stamp Sets
• Digital Stamp Brush Sets

There is no minimum purchase, and no limit to the number of stamps you can order.  This promotion starts at 12:00 AM (MT) and ends at 11:50 PM (MT), so be ready!

MDS Free Digital Downloads and 50% Off Digital Kits

What do you get when you combine Digital Scrapbooking Day and My Digital Studio? A week of A week of FREE downloads and 50 percent off ALL digital kits!

What: Three FREE downloads. 50% off ALL digital kits. Mega blogging on MyDigitalStudio.net all week!
When: October 29-November 5, 2012.
Why: To get the word out about My Digital Studio's awesome design program, content, and print products!
Where: Your customers can get theirs from your online store

See what's on the downloads and information about using them with MDS 2 here.
See information on using them with other applications here.

You can see all the Digital Kits here.  (Sale prices will not be reflected until October 29th)

Single-Image Stamps

A few weeks ago we announced that until January 2, 2013, you would have the opportunity to purchase single stamps from the Word Play, Perfectly Penned, and Seasonal Sayings Stamp Sets. Based on the interest we have seen so far, it appears everyone loves them! And now we are excited to let you know that we have added ten more individual images-including three images that you have never seen before!

Flyers for available stamps:

• Single Stamps: Assortment 1 *New!
• Single Stamps: Assortment 2 *New!
• Single Stamps: Word Play
• Single Stamps: Perfectly Penned
• Single Stamps: Seasonal Sayings

  

Don't Miss Out On These Great Opportunities!

Focus Friday: Easy Events

Today will be focusing on the Easy Events Stamp Set.  This stamp set is incredibly versatile since it covers a range of events.

The flowers were colored with the same colors as the four embossed background squares.  A simple layout with a lot of pizazz.

Another general stamp from the set is the "sending you love" stamp.  The banner design and stamped heart background express love for recipient.

These images were colored using a blender pen or markers to make them vibrant and special.

Coloring is not the only option with these stamps, though.  Here the rhinestones make perfect holly berries and add a little extra sparkle to a holiday card.  Easy Events is one of my recommended stamp sets for beginners who want to be able to cover a wide range of events... easily!

Papers: Whisper White (#100730), Real Red (#102482), Old Olive (#100702), Daffodil Delight (#119683), Tempting Turquoise (#102067), Basic Black (#121045), Brights DSP (#117155)
Inks: Real Red (#126949), Old Olive (#126953), Daffodil Delight (#126944), Tempting Turquoise (#126952), StazOn (#101406)
Stamps: Easy Events (#116958), Create A Cupcake (#121915)
Other Supplies: Corner Punch (#119871), Big Shot (#113439), Square Lattice Folder (#119976), Adorning Accents Edgelits (#125595), Blender Pen (#102845), SNAIL Adhesive (#104332), Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430), Rhinestones (#119246)

Easy Events (#116958)

LAST WEEK for Christmas in October!
It's only October, but Stampin' Claus is coming to town! Get a FREE Festive Paper-Piercing Pack when you purchase the Ornament Keepsakes Set and Candlelight Christmas Specialty Designer Series Paper.  See website for details.

Embossed Miss You

The Ways To Use It Challenge on SplitcoastStampers was to use embossing.  So, here is a card with both dry and heat embossing.

The layout was inspired by Mary Fish.  Just cut the base to 4-1/4 x 8-1/2 and score at 3 inches.  Then add the front, which has been embossed with white here.

I love these three colors from the Subtles collection together and all the embossing gives interest and depth.  I can not wait to slip this into my husbands bag when he goes on his next business trip!

Papers: So Saffron (#105118), Wild Wasabi (#108641), Rose Red (#102544)
Ink: VersaMark (#102283)
Stamps: You're Amazing (#126720), Lacy & Lovely (#122885)
Other Supplies: Baker's Twine (#124262), White Embossing Powder (#109132), Big Shot (#113439), Chevron Folder (#127749), Square Lattice Folder (#119976), Rhinestones (#119246)

You're Amazing (#126720)

Chevron Folder (#127749)

LAST WEEK for Christmas in October!
It's only October, but Stampin' Claus is coming to town! Get a FREE Festive Paper-Piercing Pack when you purchase the Ornament Keepsakes Set and Candlelight Christmas Specialty Designer Series Paper.  See website for details.

Color Combo: Gray Tangerine Mustard

This week's color combo is Basic Gray, Tangerine Tango, and More Mustard. Even though these colors lend themselves perfectly to Halloween, I decided to make a more general card.  I was inspired by the Freshly Made Sketches Challenge this week.

This sketch is very versatile and can be done as a CAS or can be embellished with plenty of layering.  I matted both my background DSP and main image to add more color.

The sentiment is stamped on a curved banner that I made with the Bitty Banner Framelits by cutting only half way and then flipping the paper to cut the other side.  The curve repeats the circle and brings the card together.

Papers: Very Vanilla (#101650), Basic Gray (#121044), Tangerine Tango (#111349), More Mustard (#100946), Howlstooth & Scaringbone DSP (#126906)
Inks: Basic Gray (#126981), Tangerine Tango (#126946), More Mustard (#126964)
Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes (#115370), Language of Friendship (#122750)

Other Supplies: Big Shot (#113439), Perfect Polka Dot Folder (#117335), Bitty Banner Framelits (#129267), Circles #2 Die (#114526), Pearls (#119247)

Bitty Banner Framelits (#129267)

Language of Friendship (#122750)

LAST WEEK for Christmas in October!
It's only October, but Stampin' Claus is coming to town! Get a FREE Festive Paper-Piercing Pack when you purchase the Ornament Keepsakes Set and Candlelight Christmas Specialty Designer Series Paper.  See website for details.

Technique Tuesday: Cut It Up

This week's technique comes from the SplitcoastStampers Try A New Technique.  The challenge was to "Cut It Up."  The idea is to stamp an image and cut it into squares, circles, rectangles, etc. for a blocked background.  This is specifically for stamped images, not DSP.

I used a repeating stamped image to make my background.  I mounted the squares on black to make the separations more obvious.  I like the watercolor effect this two-step stamp set produces.  Try your own images and what a difference cutting it up can make!

Papers: Whisper White (#100730), Basic Black (#121045), So Saffron (#105118)
Inks: StazOn (#101406), Rose Red (#126954), So Saffron (#126957)
Stamps: Reason to Smile (retired), Curly Cute (#117014)
Other Supplies: Tabletop Paper Cutter (#106959), SNAIL Adhesive (#104332), Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430)

Curly Cute (#117014)

LAST WEEK for Christmas in October!
It's only October, but Stampin' Claus is coming to town! Get a FREE Festive Paper-Piercing Pack when you purchase the Ornament Keepsakes Set and Candlelight Christmas Specialty Designer Series Paper.  See website for details.