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Pumpkin Punch Art – Create with Connie and Mary Thursday Challenge

Today's Create with Connie and Mary Thursday Challenge is Anything but a Card!  Now…don't get confused!  Mary and I are still doing the Create with Connie and Mary Thursday Challenges on the public blog where ANYONE can join in and link to their creation! 

Paper Pal Arts (PPA62) also has a challenge using buttons…although mine isn't a card, I hope it will still qualify as using buttons in an unusual way!

We also will start Saturday Challenges this week…these are just for our Create with Connie and Mary subscribers…who are eligible to win prizes if they play along!  It's not too late to join!  We are just getting started and you can access all the fun projects we've done so far!

Well, anyone that knows me, also knows that 3D items are what got me started stamping!  I love making boxes and favors and home decor items!  Today's Anything but a Card Challenge just fit me perfectly!

Like most everyone, I get my inspiration from things around me.  I was browsing thru a craft store and saw pumpkins made from felt flowers and cloth balls…the flowers were the shape of Stampin' Up!'s 5 petal punch, so I knew I could recreate them with my punch.  I also plan on making one out of the felt some day…I just didn't have any orange felt on hand.  I'm happy for this challenge so I could finally sit down and make one!

I grabbed a Styrofoam ball out of my storage closet and used the Craft Knife to cut off the bottom so it would sit flat and a little off the top so it looked somewhat like a pumpkin shape.  I punched a BUNCH of 5 petal flowers out of Pumpkin Pie cardstock.  I sponged the edges with Tangerine Tango Classic Ink.  Then I used my Bone Folder to "soften" up the cardstock, by running the edge of the bone folder along the punched flower cardstock, curling it slightly.  That helped it shape to the Styrofoam ball better.

I started at the bottom and added the 5 petal punched flowers to the ball with straight pins.  I overlapped the petals, row by row, so that the Styrofoam didn't show thru and the petals from one flower would hold the next row of flowers in place.   At the top, I placed a large punched Old Olive Fancy Flower, cutting thru the petals slightly so they would also curl up.

On top of the punched Fancy Flower, I built a stack of Old Olive and Garden Green buttons to resemble a stem.  I used the 1/8 Taffeta Ribbon and made a bow for the "vine".   Around the centers of the 5 petal flowers, I added Pumpkin Pie buttons and Rhinestone Jewels to cover the tops of the straight pins.

I think it makes a fun and whimsical little pumpkin decoration!  It really didn't take that much time to make one either…the longest part was finding enough Pumpkin Pie buttons!

We hope you play along with the Create with Connie and Mary Thursday Challenge and check out what the rest of the Challenge Team did this week!  Make sure to use CCMC118 in your post!

Gifts of Christmas

I'm taking a little break from fall and Halloween cards to show you what one of my classes made last month.  I call it Frosted Impressions and I love the look on this Christmas card!

For Christmas cards, I like them to be easier to mail without a lot of bumpiness to them.  This one fits the bill!  The base card is Real Red.  Across the top I used the Jolly Holiday Designer Paper Stripe and added the Eyelet Border Punch across the bottom in Very Vanilla.  To hide that seam I used the 5/8 Old Olive Satin Ribbon and wrapped it around the back of the DSP to secure.  (BTW – my Ribbon Shares are still going on!)  Next I ran a 2" x 5 1/2" of Medium thickness Window Sheet thru the Big Shot with the Petals A Plenty Impressions Folder.  Then I took my Sanding Block and sanded off the top of the impressions…it really gives it a frosted look!

In the center of the flowers, I used a White Gel Pen to highlight them.  This panel is adhered under the Eyelet Border and at the bottom corners with Mini Glue Dots to hold it on the base Real Red cardstock.  I tried to put the glue dot under a flower so it was less noticeable.

To finish the card, I used my Stampin' Write Markers in Old Olive, Real Red and Daffodil Delight to ink up the flower from Stampin' Up!'s Gifts of Christmas Stamp Set on Very Vanilla.  I punched it out with the Wide Oval Punch, then layered it on the Lots of Tags Die cut from Real Red cardstock.  I love the elegant look of that tag!  The piece is popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals!

Note:  I haven't forgotten the directions for the Halloween Flip Card I made last week…my Stamp Clubs are doing the card on Thursday night and I'll get them posted soon after that!

The Holiday Edition of Create with Connie and Mary has started, but it is not too late to join!  It is an 8 week subscription featuring stamps and products from the new Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini.  There is a new project posted every day and an average of two fabulous tutorials a week.  NEW this year is a Project Sheet for every post!  Our site stays up long after the session is done, so you will have access to the site and the tutorials to refer back to the projects.  For more information, please visit at Create with Connie and Mary! 

Pumpkin and Ghost Punch Art

Paper Pals Arts has a FUN sketch this week and I finally got a chance to play along…nothing like the last minute! 
 

My Punch Class did a card SIMILAR to this last month…a different layout.  But, I'm sure they will appreciate another way to use the same punch art elements for a totally different looking card!  I've seen several different versions of the pumpkins and ghosts going around…so here is mine!

I started with a base card of Old Olive.  I used Night of Navy and ran it thru the Big Shot with the Spider Web Impressions Folder.  The pumpkins are made with 3 wide ovals from Pumpkin Pie cardstock and sponged with Tangerine Tango Classic Ink.  The stem is free-hand cut from Early Espresso and the vine is punched from the Two-Step Bird Punch!  The Ghost is the Owl Punch turned upside down with the legs cut off.  The mouth is free-hand cut, too.  The moon is stamped with the greeting from Grateful Greetings with Basic Black on Daffodil Delight and punched with the 1 3/8 Circle Punch.  I sponged the edges with Tangerine Tango.

I love using the Satin Ribbon this way…I laid down a strip of Sticky Strip and then ruffled the ribbon across the bottom.  I added a large Pumpkin Pie Designer Button with an Old Olive Glimmer Brad inside it!  FUN!

The Holiday Edition of Create with Connie and Mary has started, but it is not too late to join!  It is an 8 week subscription featuring stamps and products from the new Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini.  There is a new project posted every day and an average of two fabulous tutorials a week.  NEW this year is a Project Sheet for every post!  Our site stays up long after the session is done, so you will have access to the site and the tutorials to refer back to the projects.  For more information, please visit at Create with Connie and Mary! 

Nite Owl DSP

I've been making sure to check out Technostampers Monday Lunchtime Sketches each week, they have been fun and get my Monday morning creativity going!  Today's sketch (TSSC141) was no exception…very fun!

One of the sheets in in the Nite Owl Designer Paper has spooky ads printed all over it!  It looks like the front page of a newspaper.  So, I decided to cut out one of the ads to make my card!  There is absolutely NO stamping on this card!  Just Designer Paper, a few markers, some ribbon, jewels and cardstock!  How quick and easy is that?

I started by cutting out the Candelabra ad from the Nite Owl Designer Paper with my Paper Trimmer and layered it on Basic Black cardstock.  I cut a piece of the herringbone print Designer Paper in Nite Owl for the background, then layered it on Sahara Sand.  The base of the card is Old Olive which picks up the color in the herringbone print!  I used my Stampin' Write Markers in Daffodil Delight, Old Olive and Sahara Sand to lightly color the candelabra.  I used some 5/8 Daffodil Delight Grosgrain Ribbon and did a little ribbon treatment on the side.  Finally, I added Rhinestone jewels on the edge of the ribbons and in the center of the Candelabra for a little added sparkle!

Fun, quick and easy Halloween card to make!

The Holiday Edition of Create with Connie and Mary has started, but it is not too late to join!  It is an 8 week subscription featuring stamps and products from the new Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini.  There is a new project posted every day and an average of two fabulous tutorials a week.  NEW this year is a Project Sheet for every post!  Our site stays up long after the session is done, so you will have access to the site and the tutorials to refer back to the projects.  For more information, please visit at Create with Connie and Mary! 

Spooky Nights Decor Elements

Wow…TODAY is the LAST day to take advantage of the Early Bird Special Savings of $5 off the regular $39.95 price for our 8 week subscription to Create with Connie and Mary.  After today's last Preview Post, the new projects will ONLY be available to those who have subscribed to the service.  You don't want to miss out…we have 8 weeks of fabulous projects, an average of two full tutorials per week and downloadable project sheets for those projects not having tutorials.  You also can join in our weekly challenges for a chance to win prizes at the end of the session. 

Demos…did you know that purchasing the subscription is a tax deduction for your Stampin' Up! business?  But, you don't need to be a demo to join…our projects are for EVERYONE!

Create with Connie and Mary 8 Week Subscription

$39.95 US

Haven't the Preview projects been awesome these past two weeks?  Well…we have ONE more surprise for you!  Carrie Gaskin, Artistic Avenger, is one of our Create with Connie and Mary Thursday Challenge Team Members.  She came up with a FANTASTIC project that fit into our Preview Theme this week using Spooky Nights Decor Elements, so we asked her if we could feature her project today and she agreed! 

So, go check out the Create with Connie and Mary website.  Carrie has made a FREE Project Sheet with the supplies and details on how she made her projects!  AND…she has some more BLOG CANDY on her blog..a FREE subscription to Create with Connie and Mary!  Have fun!  While you are there, don't forget to sign up!

Check over on Create after Noon on Saturday to see if you were a winner of the FREE subscription Blog Candy!

Stamping 411 – Growing Green

It's time for the Saturday Stamping 411 sketch challenge!  Another sketch to get me creating this week…I like that!  i've had so much going on that it has been hard to be in my studio…but that is where I'm hoping to spend most of the day!  Well, except for watching the OSU Buckeye game!  Go Bucks!

So I used Stampin' Up!'s stamp set, Growing Green, for my card today.  You'll find that I took the sketch very literal and did it almost exactly as it is sketched!  I also needed a special color combination card for another group that I've been a member of for years!  I joined their challenge this week and we need to mail off one card to our partner!  So, this is the card I made her!

I started with a base of Rose Red cardstock.  I added some Sweet & Sour Specialty Designer Paper to the front and then a Scallop Trim Border of So Saffron.  I used the new Always Artichoke Seam Binding Ribbon across the top of the DSP and tied a bow.  I also added a row of the Pearls right along the ribbon…I think it really dressed up the ribbon!

For the focal piece, I stamped the rose flower in Growing Green with So Saffron Classic Ink in the background of the Whisper White.  Then I stamped the same rose on scrap Whisper White with Black Stazon, and colored it with my AquaPainter and So Saffron Stampin' Write Marker.  I cut it up and placed it with Stampin' Dimensionals on the front of the focal piece.  With the smaller flower in that same set, I stamped it on scrap Whisper White in Black Stazon ink and used a Always Artichoke Marker to color it.  I cut that flower shape into pieces so I could use it as leaves.

Finally, I stamped Just For You from Stampin' Up!'s Afterthoughts stamp set in Rose Red in the lower right side.

Make sure to check out what the rest of the Stamping 411 Operators did this week with the sketch.  Then play along by uploading your card over there!  Have fun!

Fang-tastic Cauldron of Cards Set

Yes!  It is my turn again this week to feature a project for Preview Week #2!  Preview Weeks are fast coming to a close, along with the Early Bird Special Saving of $5 off the subscription price!  Saturday is the last day to take advantage of the savings!  Starting, Sunday, September 26, only subscribers will have access to the 8 weeks of fabulous projects Mary Brown and I, along with Guest Designers, Cristena Bagne, Rochelle Gould and Jenn Picard will be doing on Create with Connie and Mary!  You WON'T want to miss it!

AND…leave a comment on the Create with Connie and Mary website TODAY for a chance for another FREE subscription to Create with Connie and Mary Holiday Edition!  If you win and have already signed up, we will refund your fee!

When I was thinking of a second project to make for this week, I know that card sets are always popular and make great gifts.  Then I needed a container or box for them.  That's when I thought of a cauldron!  But, the cards needed to be small…so how about a cute set of 3×3 cards featuring Stampin' Up!'s Fang-tastic stamp set?  Those little cuties are PERFECT for a small 3×3 size!  You could tuck them inside a lunch bag, hang them on a gift bag…lots of cute ideas for these miniature cards!  I have a FREE STEP-BY-STEP TUTORIAL for you over on Create with Connie and Mary on making this cauldron box and sweet cards!

The "cauldron" box is actually two large circles cut across the top again with a portion of another circle to make the scoop top.  Between the two cauldron pieces is the Fancy Favor Bigz XL die box…it holds the 4 mini 3×3 cards and envelopes perfectly!  I placed small flat glass marbles for the "feet" of the cauldron.  The handles are made with the Large Oval Punch and Wide Oval punch around it.  The "bubbles" are made from Pear Pizzazz cardstock that I covered with Versamark, then Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder for a glittery look.  The letters, boo, were also made the same way with Tangerine Tango cardstock.  I watercolored the little kids with my Aqua Painter and Stampin' Write Markers, then punched them with the new 2 1/2 Circle Punch.

Don't forget about the  EARLY BIRD SPECIAL for the Create with Connie and Mary Holiday Edition!  It's an 8 week subscription featuring stamps and products from the new Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini.  Right now you save $5 of the regular $39.95 price, but that ENDS TOMORROW (Saturday, September 25th)!  There is a new project posted every day and an average of two fabulous tutorials a week.  NEW this year is a Project Sheet for every post!  Our site stays up long after the session is done, so you will always have access to the site and the tutorials.  AND, demos did you realize that purchasing our subscription is a tax deduction for your Stampin' Up! business?  Join us!

Create with Connie and Mary Thursday Challenge

Time again for Create with Connie and Mary's Thursday Challenge.  Even though we are gearing up on Sunday for 8 weeks of the new Holiday Edition on the subscriber-only blog, we will still continue the Thursday Challenge on the Create with Connie and Mary public website!  We hope you continue to play along with the challenges each week!  Make sure to label your post as CCMC117!

I struggled with the direction I wanted to go with my card!  SOOOO many things on this cake (but doesn't it look good???), the polka dots, the flowers, the diamonds, stripes, pearls!  Oh my!  So many choices!  I finally went with a very simple card…mainly because I was running out of time!  lol!  But I do like how it turned out!

I decided that I saw a couple of the new In Colors…Pear Pizzazz and Peach Parfait in the cake…along with some Poppy Parade flowers!  So, I pulled out a sheet of Sunny Garden Designer Paper and cut off the section that had this floral print.  The base of my card is Poppy Parade and I layered on Whisper White.  I wrapped some 1/8 Old Olive Taffeta Ribbon around the DSP and secured it in the back.  I layered that on the Whisper White.  I had a 2 3/8 Large Scallop of Pear Pizzazz on my table.  So I found the medallion from Matchbox XL Bigz die fit in it perfectly!  I stamped the greeting from Stampin' Up!'s For All You Do stamp set in Poppy Parade Ink on the Whisper White and placed it inside the Scallop Circle.  I stamped the large flower in Poppy Parade and cut it out.  Then I punched the flower from Itty Bitty Punches in Peach Pizzazz and placed it in the center of the flower.  I also used one of the Itty Bitty Buttons in the center, tied with some Linen Thread (just for Mary so I didn't have a naked button!)  lol!  I thought it needed a little more Pear Pizzazz, so I stamped the flower again with Pear Pizzazz and cut out just one petal to make a leaf.

Quick, easy and fun!  My favorite kind of card!  Go ahead and make your own creation, upload it over on the Create website!  We love to use how you interpret the inspiration cake this week!  And check out how the other members of the Challenge Team were inspired!

Don't forget…Early Bird Special Savings of $5 off the regular price of $39.95 for the 8 week subscription of Create with Connie and Mary ends on Saturday, September 25th!  Don't miss out!

Fang-tastic Flight

Continuing with the theme this week over on Create with Connie and Mary of featuring Fang-tastic, Midnight Raven and Spooky Nights Decor Elements for our Preview Week #2, I used Fang-tastic again for Technostamper's Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge TSSC140!  Another fun one!

Instead of the tag shape, I decided to use the 1 3/4 circle punch of Daffodil Delight, sponged with Tangerine Tango, for the bright harvest moon!  Stampin' Up!'s sweet Fang-tastic Witch is flying across the sky on her broomstick.  I had one of the witches stamped and colored already, so all I had to do is cut her out to make this card.  She is popped up on Dimensionals in front of the moon.  Overall, the card came together in just a few minutes, although I had the idea in my head a few days!  I LOVE the Wicked Cool Designer paper with the flocked bats in the sky, too!  It gives it some texture.  Of course, Happy Hallo-scream seems like the perfect sentiment!

The base card is Tangerine Tango, with a layer of Basic Black.  I added the Wicked Cool Tangerine Tango Stripe paper as a layer.  I cut the Top Note die twice, once with Basic Black cardstock and left it whole.  Then the bat flocked Wicked Cool DSP I trimmed off the edge, right inside the perforated marks…this makes a nice border of Basic Black all around the Top Note.  Convenient that Stampin' Up! did that when they designed the die, right?  lol!

As I mentioned, it all came together really quickly!  Hope you enjoy it!  And, THANKS for all the great comments on my Countdown to Halloween project yesterday!  I'm glad you are getting an idea of the type of quality projects we will be presenting on the 8 week subscription to Create with Connie and Mary!  We'll be announcing the winners of the Blog Candy on Saturday, so check over on Create with Connie and Mary to see if you won!  And, remember, Saturday is the LAST DAY for the Early Bird Special Savings of $5 off the regular $39.95 subscription price!  You won't want to miss the rest of the fantastic projects we have for you!  I just can't wait to show you!

Fang-tastic Countdown to Halloween

It's my turn again to show you one of the projects I made for Create with Connie and Mary's Preview Week 2…this week we are featuring the stamp set Fang-tastic, single stamp Midnight Raven and Spooky Nights Decor Elements.  I have a FREE STEP-BY-STEP TUTORIAL over on Create with Connie and Mary for you to print and and use to make this Countdown to Halloween project! 

AND…it is MY turn to give away BLOG CANDY!  Yes, if you entered last Tuesday, you are welcome to leave a comment here again for a chance to win!  (I got my Tuesday's mixed up!  lol!)  But…I'll also honor those that did leave a comment last week…it was good hearing from you anyway!  But…I'd love to hear if you like THIS project!  Everyone will be entered into a drawing to win a FREE subscription to Create with Connie and Mary.  But…don't worry…if you've already signed up, we will refund your fee!

OK…I must admit that I really was jumping up and down when I finished this project.  It turned out exactly like I had pictured in my head!  It all came from seeing a package of gum laying on my desk.  Of course, at that time I didn't have the stamp set, Fang-tastic, in my possession yet.  But…I thought the little witch and dracula were just TOO cute for this Countdown to Halloween treat!  But…what is inside?  Not more candy…no…how about…sugarless gum!  I used Eclipse brand…but any one that has 12 on each package would work.  It gives you a 24 day countdown when you use two packages…or just use one pocket and package for a 12 day countdown!

Isn't it cute???  I love how it turned out.  I won't go into details here.  The supply list and directions are over on the FREE TUTORIAL on Create with Connie and Mary!  Make sure to sign up while you are there!  Remember, we are having an Early Bird Subscription Savings of $5 off the regular price of $39.95, so you can JOIN US now for $34.95 but only until Saturday, September 25 @ 11:55 PM ET.