Happy Halloween Card

Well, I've been down with a cold and did not get my Halloween cards in the mail....big bummer!  On the bright side, I guess I'm well stocked for next year.  At least I can share this one with you here.  Another fun and easy card using more artwork from the designer paper (Spooky Town Bright--Halloween Party) I had used to make the Witchy Boo Card.  I added googly eyes to the pumpkin and Glossy Accent to the spider's (only because I didn't have small enough googly eyes).  

Hope everyone has a great Halloween and get more treats than tricks!

Entered into the following Challenge:

Rhedd and Rosies--Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday--Anything Goes

Paper Playtime--Googlie Eyes

Parade Your Crafts--Halloween

Simon Says Stamp Monday--Anything Goes

That Craft Place--Halloween

Painted Windows

One of my sisters recently gave me another load of old windows to add to my stash.  These are smaller and a couple had a great diamond pattern at the top.  So I cleaned them up and went to work painting them.  The pattern above is by Monika Brint. 

I reverse painted it on the back of the window, which took some careful thinking on my part! Turned out super cute and this window was recently donated to an auction benefit for a teen in our community.

Here's one of the windows I painted on with the diamond frame.  The design is my own and again, I reverse painted it on the back of the window.

This window will be donated to an auction in November that benefits Special Olympics in northern Michigan.

Still lots more windows in my stash...just need to find the time to paint them!!

Little Favor Boxes

The past weekend was the one and only crop event that I attend with my fellow "Croppy Cats".  And as always, I try to take a little favor to pass out to them.  This year I was pressed for time due to another project I wanted to finish up so I was happy to find these little plastic boxes in my stash.

I had bought them a few years back on clearance and after I finally got all the adhesive from the label off, I went to work with my alcohol inks to make the leaves look like this:

Then I simply put some stickers on them, filled with candy and gemstone treats and they were ready to hand out!

Entered into the following challenges:

DECORATED TO CELEBRATE--#62 HALLOWEEN PARTY

SIMON SAYS STAMP WEDNESDAY--HALLOWEEN COLORS

HIDING IN MY CRAFT ROOM-- #120 COLOR IT

 

 

 

Halloween Count Down Slate

Here's a cute project I put together as my Design Team submission for the latest Creative Cutting Challenge "Halloween--Not A Card".  Created using a 8" x 10" chalkboard slate, the front side of this sign is used to count down the days until Halloween.  

Here are the project details:

• I used DecoArt Cadmium Orange acrylic paint along the chalkboard edges--both inner and outer.
• Using some scrap designer paper (I believe I picked this up at Hobby Lobby), I cut strips and attached to the wood frame of the chalkboard on both sides using Ranger Studio Multi-Medium.  Once dry I used a craft knife to trim the corners and a sanding file on the edges.
• Using black acrylic paint and water, I "floated" color along the outer edges.  I also used the orange paint to touch up any areas on the inside edges.  Once dry, I brushed on an acrylic varnish.
• Holes were drilled in the upper corners
• The cat element was created out of Tim Holtz Grunge Paper which was cut on my electronic cutter using the cat from the HALLOWEEN SET ONE SVG file.  I used the same orange paint on the shadow layer.  The top layer was painted black.  Once dry, I attached the two pieces using Glossy Accents.  Then, when that was set, I covered the entire cat in acrylic varnish.  

I chose to use Grunge Board to make the cat very durable.

• To embellish the cat, I added wire whiskers, held on with Glossy accents.  After that was dry, Black Diamond Stickles was added in a triangle shape and the eyes were finished withYellow Stickles. 

After everything was dry on the cat, I used black foam dots to lift it up from the chalkboard, so that the tail laid flat on the wood portion.  I added Glossy Accents to each side of the foam for permanent adherence.  

• Next I created the sign wording with Photoshop and then painted it onto the slate with white acrylic paint.  I have put that into a pdf file that you can get HERE for free.
• To make a chalk holder, I took a regular size clothespin, painted it black and added a matching strip of paper.  I finished the same way as the chalkboard and attached to the frame with Glossy Accents.

• The final step on the front was to add the hanger.  I used orange pipe cleaners but ribbon, wire or cording would have worked just fine.

Now, I could have left the back side plain...not even putting paper on the frame...which would have been fine.  But I thought that it might be a good idea to be able to flip the sign once the count down had ended.

So this is what I came up with .  I painted the sign the same way and have that pdf Freebie for you too.  You can get it HERE.  I added another Grunge Board element to the back as well.  This pumpkin is from the JACK PUMPKINS SVG file.  I painted and assembled this the same way as the cat.  I did a little extra painting onto the pumpkin to add the stem and creases.  Black Diamond Stickles accents to the eyes, nose and mouth. I also attached it to the slate using Glossy Accents. 

Hope you liked the project!  Don't forget to check out all the great Design Team Halloween inspiration over at CREATIVE CUTTING CHALLENGE.  If you are an electronic cutter who uses SVG or similar files, I hope you'll join in the challenge....we want to see your creations and you just might become a winner!

Entered Into The Following Challenges:

ANYTHING BUT A CARD--ORANGE AND BLACK

HOBBY CUTZ--HOME DECORATION

CUT IT UP: HALLOWEEN OR DAY OF DEAD (die cut cat/pumpkin)

SIMON SAYS MONDAY--SPOOKY

Friday File Feature

It's Friday and I'd like to kick off a weekly SVG file feature.  You may not know that I have over 150 SVG files/sets available in my Cut and Create store.  I also have eleven sets currently available on Etsy.  Today I want to feature the Fall Set, available in both stores:

This is a very versatile set for fall, Halloween and Thanksgiving crafting.  

Save $1 on this set HERE for one week only!

Ready for some inspiration?  

Below are some great projects from myself and the Design Team that used these files: 

If you have an electronic cutter and software (SCAL, MTC, etc) that uses SVGs, you can use these digital files to create whatever your imagination dreams up.  If you use a Silhouette machine, DT member Ruth has a great tutorial on how to work with SVGs in the Silhouette Designer Edition.  Check it out HERE.

And please join us over at CREATIVE CUTTING CHALLENGE.  We'd love to see your work and you just might become a winner!

Vintage Santa with Globe Card

"The world is mine this night I think, Said jolly St. Nick with a knowing wink..."

The vintage image of Santa holding the globe reminded me of this week's theme over at Card A Day Blog: "Christmas Around the World".  So I used it in the card I created as my Design Team member project.  Here are the brief details:  I actually cut into a whole 12" x 12" sheet of paper for the card base!  Oh, it wasn't easy but I loved how this paper didn't overwhelm the image.  I did find the crimped strip of green paper in my stash box and just punched the top and bottom border to jazz it up a bit.  I puzzled over what to add as an embellishment since I wanted to keep it in a vintage style.  Holly leaves were a good idea but I didn't have any large enough.  What to do?  Grab two of these "regular" leaves and a pair of scissors!  

A few simple snips turned flower leaves into holly leaves!  I added Distress Stickles berries (Fired Brick) and then went over areas with more Distress Stickles--leaves (Peeled Paint), Frame (Vintage Photo) and Santa's fur (Clear Rock Candy). 

Hope you'll check out all the Christmas card inspiration over at Card A Day Blog!

Entered Into The Following Challenge:

CRAFTING MUSKETEERS--CHRISTMAS IN OCTOBER

CREATIVE CRAFT CHALLENGES2--ANYTHING GOES

THROUGH THE CRAFT ROOM DOOR--ANYTHING GOES

USE IT TUESDAY--SCRAPS, PIECES, ODDS & ENDS (green paper)

Embossed Reindeer Card

Card A Day Blog has been featuring "Christmas Animal" cards all this week.  As today's CADB Designer, I knew I had to use a reindeer in my card, because when I think of Christmas animals, I think reindeer!  This card was super simple to make.  The reindeer was stamped on cream cardstock with Distress Embossing Ink and then heat embossed with gold embossing powder.  Cut and matted with Spellbinders Labels #1.  Both the mat and background paper were scraps.  The sentiment was created by using a portion of washi tape.  Everything was then adhered to a premade cream greeting card blank.  This would be a very quick and easy card to make in multiples.

Entered Into the Following Challenges:

SIMON SAYS WEDNESDAY--USE A RUBBER OR CLEAR STAMP

STAMPING SENSATIONS--OCT ALL CREATURES GREAT & SMALL

PAPER CREATOR'S--DIES OR PUNCHES

Creative Cutting Challenge -- Spooky Spider Card

I love to create (both designing in SCAL and making) shaped cards.  I think that they are fun to receive because they are so unique.  I especially love to send them to my young nieces and nephews.  So this spider card was created with my five year old nephew in mind....just the right amount of "spooky-ness" for a young boy!  I cut it from black cardstock (legs on the back page of card) and accented it by embossing the front layer with a circle design Cuttlebug Embossing Folder.  To make the legs stand out I added Black Diamond Stickles, which also had the added effect of making them a little sturdier.  Finally, I used heavy coats of Glossy Accents on the eyelids and eyeballs to give them dimension.

 

 Here's the SVG cutting file that you can purchase HERE.

If you also use SVG (or similar files) and an electronic cutting machine, I invite you to join in the newest Challenge---HALLOWEEN CARDS.  Get the details HERE.  And if you don't have an electronic cutter (yet!), please click over anyway and check out the awesome Design Team Halloween card inspiration.  I'm sure you can apply those ideas to whatever type of papercrafting you do!

Entered Into the Following Challenges:

THE PAPER PLAYERS--HALLOWEEN CARDS

CRAFTY CALENDAR--OCTOBER/HALLOWEEN

SIMON SAYS WEDNESDAY--SPOTS/DOTS (embossing on spider)

Blog Candy Winner

World Card Making Day Blog Candy Winner

Is #10:

 Sue said...

thanks for the goodies

Congrats Sue!  Please email me at Creative@avci.net with your address.

World Card Making Day--Free SVGs and More!

Today's the day...
3rd Annual "World Card Making Day Extravaganza"!
So glad you joined me, cause there is a lot in store for you today.
Be sure to scroll all the way down for the blog candy giveaway.
First up are three, yes three FREE SVG FILES for you to grab today only.

Get the file HERE

I had fun selecting a vintage image to dress up with this witch hat!  I used Distress Markers to shade the hat band (Dusty Concord ) and the buckle (Spiced Marmalade).  Both were highlighted with a Picket Fence DM.  The base of the card is a sheet from the K & Company Designer "Spooky" Mat Pad, which made it very quick as the layers are printed on the paper.  Next came the fussy cut image and hat.  Layered over that is black cardstock die cut with the Tim Holtz Alterations "Iron Gate" die.  A line drawn with a violet Metallic Marker and black/white bakers twine finish off the bottom.  The top corner is embellished with a tag sticker and more bakers twine.

Get the file HERE

I created this graveyard scene using the haunted tree.  The top layer features wood grain created with a Sizzix embossing folder and then shaded with a Walnut Stain Distress Marker.  Spiced Marmalade and Picket Fence Distress Markers were used to shade/highlight the tree's face.  I also used SCAL to cut the graveyard out of black cardstock.  Then the ground area was stamped (Hero Arts "Flourish" Background) with Versa Mark ink and heat embossed with Stampendous "Star Dust" Embossing Powder.  The spiderweb was stamped (Stampers Anonymous "Mini Halloween") with white ink.  I tore a scrap of yellow cardstock then distressed with Black Soot Distress Ink.  The sentiment, stars and large bat (Cosmo Cricket "Haunted") and the small bats (Inkadinkado "Tangled Tree") were all stamped with Archival Jet Black ink.  The stars were filled in with Yellow Stickles and the bat's eyes are Orange Peel Stickles.

Get the file HERE

The Indian corn cobs were embossed with a Sizzix embossing folder.  Then the "kernels" were colored using various Distress Markers.  The husk was shaded with a Walnut Stain DM.  Picket Fence was used for highlights.  For this card I used a premade kraft card base.  Over that I added the designer paper (Reminisce "Autumn Harvest").  I tore a strip of Kraft Glassine and crumpled it then glued horizontally to the card.  Over that a layer of rounded corner scrap became the mat for the diecut.  I stamped the sentiment with Sepia Archival Ink onto scrap kraft and used a Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher to staple it to the card.

Ready to make more cards?

TODAY ONLY you can get these SVG card files for 1/2 OFF!

COFFIN CARD

MILESTONE BIRTHDAY CARDS

WEDDING CAKE CARD

SHAMROCK HAT CARD

TEACUP CARD

MOM HEART CARD

PURSE CARD

SPOOKY SPIDER CARD

COMPUTER CARD

DAD IS KING CARD

MOM CARD

RUBBER DUCK CARD

JACK O'LANTERN CARD

TROPHY CARD

And now if you've read down this far, 

it's time to reward you with some Blog Candy!  

The prize includes:

• Kaiser Craft Pearls
• Distress Stickles Tattered Rose
• Art Alternatives ATC Canvas Pad

To win, just #1) Be a Follower and #2) Leave a Comment.  You have until Sunday noon EST.  Winner will be announced Sunday evening.