A Hoot of a Halloween!!!

Hello all!!

With fall, and Halloween, fast approaching I've been playing around with some ideas for it.  My stamp club gals are not always into investing in Halloween specific stamps, so I wanted to come up with some alternatives using other items.

This card uses everyday stamp images/punches, but in a Halloween way!  I was playing around with my Sprinkles of Life set and coordinating punch, and this idea just kind of popped into my head!

I haven't played with my owl punch in a looooong time, but I love how he fits in beautifully with Halloween.

Since I was just playing around for me right now, some of the items on here are retired now.  The base card, and top layer, are using Confetti Cream.  I ran the top layer through the Big Shot using the Woodgrain embossing folder.  Finished that off with some sponging in Early Espresso to give the look of a tree.  The circle was punched using the 2 1/2" circle punch.  I wanted the owl to appear as if he sitting inside the tree.  The branch he is sitting on is from Sprinkles of Life.  Stamped in Chocolate Chip onto Chocolate Chip card stock.  I used two.

My idea for the clouds was to give them a "dark night" look.  They were stamped in Smoky Slate ink and then I used Marina Mist and Basic Gray stampin' markers to give them  the dark night look.  I blended the colors with a blender pen.  For a little added punch I put crystal effects on the colored parts.

The sentiment comes from Teeny Tiny Wishes.

So, what do you think?

Happy Stamping,

Ann

Beautiful Dreamer - Scrapbook Page #1 for Artisan Award entry

Happy Sunday everyone!!!  Today I have to share with you the first of my scrapbook pages I entered for the Artisan Award Design Team contest by Stampin' Up!

The page is 12 x 12 and uses Basic Black as the main page color.  I pulled the colors for the page from the picture of my granddaughter, Alysha, and what she was wearing.

I just love this picture of her and how I seemed to capture her dreaming off into the future!  That's why I went with the butterflies and cloudy day embossing folder (now retired) to try to capture that.

The butterflies were cut with the Beautiful Wings embosslit and Beautiful Butterflies die.  The large butterfly was actually "double cut" with the two large half butterflies on the die to give you a double effect.  I hope that make sense!  I then topped it with the larger butterfly from the embosslit.

The scallops on the title are actually circles cut with the 1 1/4" circle punch and topped with rhinestones.  I finished off the page by shadowing the edges with the Whisper White craft pad.

I really like how this turned out!!!

Thanks for looking!!!

Stamped Blessings!!

Ann :)

A Nature Thank You - DIC128

Hello all!!  This week the UDI inspiration piece is 3 very yummy looking cocktails.  Each in their own fabulous color.

I mainly went with the colors from the piece to build my card, but still not quite sure how the cocktails translate to birds!!!  Anyway, I love how this came out and I just love this new set coming out in the Occasions mini, January 4th!!!

While the overall look of the card is clean, it not necessarily simple!!!  I combined alot of techniques on this card, once again!

The first is using the dry embossed method with the new Framed Tulips embossing folder and Perfect Polka Dots folder.  However, the fun part is that I double embossed them!  To do this you run your secondary folder through first and then place your card stock into your primary folder and run it through the Big Shot again.  You will still notice the secondary embossing, but just not as pronounced.

The second technique I did was Out-of-the Box.  This is a fun and fairly easy technique to do.  The tough part is making sure you don't cut into your image when trying to trim part of the card stock away.  To do this you stamp your image onto the card stock and then trim away parts of it.  You should cut your card stock as close to the size you want to end up with.  The idea is to leave part of the image "cut out" of the card stock.

The third technique is watercoloring.  Pulled out my watercolor wonder crayons and blender pen, and colored away.  Not sure if there is a bird this color in real life, but I think it's pretty!  The eggs were colored with markers direct to the stamp and then cut out. 

I couldn't resist the fly on here, since the cocktails are fruity and flies also come around with the sweet things!!

If you have a chance to play this week, check out the UDI Blog and see what you come up with.

Happy Stamping!!!

~~~Ann~~~

GCA #95 - The Feel of Independence Day!!

Hello all!!!  A Happy Fourth of July to all my American friends!!  I hope you have a beautiful day and spend it exactly as you wish!!

When I stop and think about what the writers of the Declaration of Independence were feeling and thinking that day, it humbles me.  I cannot imagine living in a country where my independence is monitored or limited.  I am so thankful for that.

The challenge this week is to use that feeling of the Fourth of July to create your card, scrapbook page or whatever.  It does not have to be specific to the Fourth of July holiday.  Think of the colors, the sights, the sounds or just what it means to you.  Your creation could be a celebration, a message to a far away friend or just filled with the colors of the Fourth.

My card uses the colors of the Fourth to send a cheery hello to far away friend!  My base is using Real Red, which I cut with my scallop square die to make a square card.  Love my Big Shot!!  I took a piece of folded cardstock and placed it over the die, leaving the folded edge just off the the cutting surface.   And there you have a scalloped square card!  The final card measures approximately 4.25 x 4.5.

I layered the front with Daffodil Delight (my new fave color!) after I ran it through with my Perfect Polka Dots eb folder.  I rounded the right side corners with my corner rounder.  A piece of 5/8" real red gg with a piece of the new 1/8" taffeta in Daffodil Delight, is the perfect embellishment.

For my stamped images I used the new Level 2 Hostess set, Cute by the Inch, and layered them onto a strip of Night of Navy.  This hostess set is filled with 9 "inchies" in a variety of styles/occasions.  I stamped the flourish image in Daffodil Delight and the friends image in Real Red.  All three of them were stamped onto Whisper White and cut out.  I also rounded the right corners on my NON strip.  The image strip is popped up with dimensionals.

A very quick and simple card, at least for me!!!, to make!

Upload your creation to either your blog or to an online gallery and post a link to your creation to this blog entry by July 10, 2010 at 12 midnight. I will choose the winner the next day. If you upload your card to SCS, PaperCraft Planet, Stampin' Addicts or Stamp TV, please put GCA95 in your keywords. That way everyone can see all of the wonderful creations at once!

Even if you can't make the drawing deadline, PLEASE feel free to participate in the challenges and upload your creations at any time. I would love to see it! And yes, my challenge is open to everyone who visits, even if you live outside the US!


Happy Stamping!!!

~~~Ann~~~