InkspiredTreasures.com

Tour de Freaks Tour

Wow!  The Tour de Freaks Blog Tour starts today!  You’ve probably just come from Melanie’s Blog if you are going in order of the tour. 

I’m so excited to see what fun things the Control Freak swappers have done this month!  Make sure to hop on the Tour and check them out for yourself!  You’ll have 15 stops this month to enjoy.  At the bottom you’ll see how to click to the next stop!

My first card uses Eat, Drink & Be Scary…truly one of my FAVORITE Halloween sets.  Those of you that know me, know that I’m a Halloween stamp NUT!  I can’t stop buying them and making cards!  I wanted this to look like the witch had hung up her hat for the night.  So…I have it resting on a fence post (Frightful Fence Jumbo Wheel) with the full moon behind it.

I started with a base card of Sahara Sand and layered on Pumpkin Pie cardstock, then added some Cast A Spell Designer Paper to the left side.  The new 5/8 Black Grosgrain ribbon hides the seam.  I wheeled the Frightful Fence Jumbo Wheel on Sahara Sand cardstock with Whisper White Craft Ink, let it dry, then cut it out with my Stampin’ Up! Hobby Blade.  I stamped the hat from Eat, Drink & Be Scary in Basic Black on Whisper White, cut it out and added a Pumpkin Pie band of cardstock.  Finally, I stamped the spider from Eat Drink & Be Scary in Basic Black in the upper left corner.  I think it makes a FUN card!

My next card uses the stamping set, Falling Leaves and a layout Mary Brown and I found a LONG time ago…we actually did a challenge with it.  So, I decided to recreate it here with new products!  I love this set…the images are small enough that they fit in a lot of punches.  I started with a base of More Mustard and wheeled Bright Blessings Jumbo Wheel in More Mustard Ink all over it.  I used a piece Autumn Meadows Designer Paper and layered it on Chocolate Chip Cardstock and used the Corner Rounder punch on both layers.  I added a strip of Taken with Teal cardstock along the right edge and a strip of Chocolate Chip cardstock, wrapped with Kraft Taffeta Ribbon along the bottom of the Autumn Meadows Designer Paper.  I stamped one leaf with Taken with Teal on Very Vanilla and punched with the 1 1/4 circle punch.  This was layered on a 1 3/8 circle of Chocolate Chip and then a Scallop Circle of More Mustard, pierced with the Piercing tool.  The other leaf was stamped with More Mustard on Very Vanilla and layered on 1 3/8 circle of Taken with Teal.  Both were popped up with Dimensionals.  Finally, I stamped Grateful from Falling Leaves in Chocolate Chip on Very Vanilla and punched it with the Modern Tag Punch.

Next, I made a set of frosted glass coasters using the Falling Leaves stamp set.  I kept them simple…I couldn’t use a lot of thickness.  I found the coasters at my local K*** Department Store.  They are a nice, heavy weight set of 4 coasters with a black stand!  I’ll be using these in my Family Room and change out the inserts for each holiday!  Wouldn’t they make a nice gift for your holiday hostesses?

The opening is a 2 x 3 size, so I cut a piece of Sage Shadow cardstock to that size, then wheeled Bright Blessings Jumbo Wheel over each one with Sage Shadow ink.  I punched Scallop Squares of Creamy Caramel cardstock, each one was sponged with the same ink as the leaf.  I stamped the different leaves in Ruby Red, Pumpkin Pie, Elegant Eggplant and Bravo Burgundy Classic ink on Very Vanilla cardstock and cut them out.  Each leaf was popped up with Dimensionals on the Scallop Square punched piece.  That’s it!  Pretty simple, but I think they make a WOW!

Next up is my good friend, Mary Brown!  I’m sure she has some FABULOUS projects, so check her blog and continue the tour!

Card Published and Designer Paper Shares!

I received notice a couple weeks ago that I had a card published in Stampers Sampler Magazine for August/September 2009.  It is always exciting to actually receive the publication and see your card in print!

I used one of my favorite Halloween sets, Eat, Drink & Be Scary (#111764, $18.95) and combined it with Good Friends (#113740).  But my challenge was how to make that cute little bird scary enough for Halloween!  I know!  Turn him into a crow with Black Chunky Essentials Glitter for his body!  I used Heat & Stick Powder adhesive so the chunky glitter would really stay on! 

The hat was stamped with Black Craft and cut out.  I added a band of Pumpkin Pie cardstock.  And I stamped the Eat, Drink & Be Merry with Black Craft on Whisper White, and punched it with the Curly Label Punch.  I also punched two black Curly Label Punch pieces and placed them behind the white one for a layered look.

The three different kinds of Designer Paper are retired from a couple years ago (still one of my favorite Halloween papers, but easy enough to replace it with other DSP).  The base of the card is Pumpkin Pie.  I had a blast making this card…hope you enjoy it!  If you’d like to order the sets or materials used to make this card, use my SHOP NOW online ordering system or email me!

Wow…did you know that there are just TWO more days (August 20) until the Tour de Freaks?  Be prepared to have your socks knocked off this month with awesome cards and projects featuring the In Colors!  Blog Tour brought to you by your Control Freak swappers! 

I’m also offering a Designer Series Paper Share for a limited time.

INKspired Treasures

Eat Drink & Be Scary

I know…I’m addicted to this Halloween stamp set, Eat, Drink & Be Scary.  I truly LOVE that witches hat!  This is one holiday that I like to send out cards.  I have about 10 done, but need to make a few more if I get time!  I have SO many Halloween stamps and wheels…they are just so fun.

This card was a challenge card with Mary last week.  We used a sketch with any theme.  Many of you know that I also love Snowmen.  One of the home decor items I’ve purchased over the years is a Snowman Pumpkin for Halloween decorations.  I decided to replicate my decor piece onto a card. 

I used 3 sizes of circle punches (1-3/4, 1-3/8, 1-1/4) from some leftover Pumpkin Designer Paper.  The arms and crow are from Season of Friendship, I just cut off a couple of the twigs.  The spider and the hat are from Eat, Drink & Be Scary.  For the spider, I used my black marker to color in the body, stamped and then used the fine tip to draw the web coming down to him.  The background designer paper is from Ghostly Greetings.    I used the new Old Olive grosgrain ribbon to tie around the background.  And, I added a couple leaves from Autumn Harvest to "ground" the pumpkin snowman a little.  Oh, his face is from Autumn Harvest, too.  So, yes, I used three different stamp sets…but I just couldn’t resist!  What do you think?

Another start to a brand new week.  It is busy one for me…lots of deadlines.  It is supposed to be COLD today with a chance of the "s" word…  I’m not ready!

Eat, Drink & Be Scary

Don’t forget to scroll down to my last post and leave a comment for BLOG CANDY!

I don’t buy much stuff that isn’t Stampin’ Up!  However, I HAD to have this Drippy Goo punch!  It is just adorable!  Our local stores never even got them in stock, and the cashier checked in a 100 mile radius for me.  I happened to email a gal in Florida who was looking and asked her if she would pick one up for me if she found them.  That was several weeks ago.  Out of the blue, she emailed me and said she had found one and did I still want it.  Are you kidding?  YES!  She kindly shipped it off to me.  This was the card I made her when I packed off her check and some extra goodies as a thank you. 

I used the Sanded background on the Basic Grey cardstock.  And I used a strip of Ghostly Greetings designer paper.  The Black/Orange stitch ribbon I picked up last year and it hides the seam between the Designer Paper and the strip of Black Drippy Goo.  I stamped the hat from Eat, Drink & Be Scary in Black Craft Ink and embossed with clear.  I used a strip of Pumpkin Pie cardtock for the band.  Beware is also a contraband Martha Stewart stamp…the drippy letters match the punch!  I hope she likes it!

I’ve been working on some items for another craft fair this weekend and my classes for next week so I’m busy like usual!  Hope you are having a great week!  If you are in the Columbus, Ohio area on Saturday from 8:30 – 3:00, I’ll be at the Clintonville Women’s Club on High Street.  Come and visit!

Oh, I received my FIRST online order from a new customer!  Woohoo!

Eat, Drink and Be Scary!

I LOVE this new set, Eat, Drink & Be Scary!  It is NOW available in the Holiday mini!  That witches hat is JUST TOO CUTE!!!  I had to have it.  Plus I love that I can use my punches with some of the other stamps in this set! 

If you want this set, CLICK HERE to go to my Online Ordering…then click in the upper right corner a Shop Now button…and use #111764 for $18.95!  Order now and get it in time to make a few special Halloween cards!

For the details…this was another challenge with my friends Lisa and Mary last weekend.  We used Lauren Meador’s darling layout.  I cut a Basic Black circle with my Coluzzle, then cut one with Tangerine Tango the same size and cut it in half and applied over the Basic Black one.  Then I cut a sliver of Whisper White and placed it over the seam…trimmed off the sides to match the circle.  I stamped the Witches Hat with Black Craft Ink and embossed with Clear EP, then cut it out and popped it with dimensionals on the circle.  I cut a sliver of Tangerine Tango for the hat band, too.  I stamped the Halloween definition in the upper right and bottom left corners (using my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig made it SO easy!)  Then I cut a rectangle of Whisper White, stamped the Spider in Basic Black and used my Tag Corner Punch on the top ends.  I punched a 1/16 circle and used the Silver Elastic Cord (it is BACK in the holiday mini also!).  It is secured to the circle with a dimensional.  I tied the Tangerine Tango 5/8 Striped Ribbon around the base card of Basic Black.

I loved how this card came out!  (yeah, yeah…I say that about a lot of my cards, don’t I?)  The simple things make me happy!

Stamps:  Eat, Drink & Be Scary
C/S:  Basic Black, Whisper White, Tangerine Tango
Inks:  Basic Black Craft, Basic Black Classic
Other:  Tag Corner punch, 5/8 Stripe Tangerine Tango ribbon, 1/16 punch, Silver elastic cord, dimensionals, Circle Coluzzle