Halloween Magnetism

Halloween Magnetism.

I have had a very good day. Hence, two posts!

This card was a lot of fun to make. It does require a few layers but I like the effect of the thin green and black borders. I designed it for my grandson – Count Dracula is a magnet.

Stamps Used: Stampendous Marble Texture Cube;Graveyard (unmounted – unknown);Peddlar’s Pack – Count Dracula

White card blank with fold on the left size to make landscape orientation. Adhere black paper panel to cover the card front, then add a layer of green, and layer of black as shown. Focal point: stamp feature image on white card stock (graveyard). Cut a piece of vellum the same size as this panel and stamp with texture stamp using Black Memories Ink pad, heat set. Tint on the underside with green Marvy stamp pad; heat set. Tear out a window from the vellum and use the green stamp pad to accent the torn edges of the window and heat set. Add some green to front of vellum for more intensity -- yes, heat set! Place the vellum on top of the image panel, punch a hole in each corner and assemble with mini brads. Adhere to card.

Count Dracula is stamped with Memories Black stamp pad and colored with watercolors and fine brush. Put purple card stock behind the cutout and laminate. Cut out again leaving a margin of purple. Adhere to magnet material and cut out again. Leave Count Dracula free by slipping him between the vellum and the card stock image so that he can be removed and used as a magnet.

Got Java?

Got Java? Here’s a simple card idea using the Monkey Hospitality Stamp listed as a companion on theneonrainbow.etsy.com

Forest Green Card blank, stamp Psychedelic Background (Embossing Arts) on card face with Memories Black ink pad. Stamp Monkey Hospitality (theneonrainbow) on white cardstock, color with watercolors and a fine brush only the monkey and the coffee cup and steam. Cut out monkey image with a circle punch or circle cutter. Layers of copper and red cardstock respectively. The corrugated band under all is—you guessed it — compliments of Starbucks! Use a pin or 1/8 inch punch for holes to secure assembly with two square orange brads and affix to cardface. Go have a cup of coffee!

Pumpkin Head

Pumpkin Head has received more hits on Etsy than Skylar (my son's "first born") so I thought it was time to put this stamp to the task of making a few Halloween cards. Here is our favorite so far and the one that will probably be used for a current swap I am participating in.

Pumpkin Head was stamped with a top boss pad and heat embossed with fine line black embossing powder. He was colored and shaded using watercolor pencils and a fine brush. Cut Pumpkin Head out and assemble with brads ready to go on the card face.

Card face: Orange textured paper over black chromecoat card blank. I Love Sizzix! ZigZag frame from black chromecoat, tombstone, and pumpkin as shown. Purple highlight cut oversize to frame the 3-d pumpkin. Write details on the tombstone and age the edges with a silver stamp pad. Affix all to card face. Pumpkin Head goes on with one foam mount at his waist to allow him to do the twist.
Hope you enjoy the look. You can find the Pumpkin Head stamp at theneonrainbow.etsy.com

Skylar tests his Wings

Make Skylar flap his wings. This method takes a little more fussing to make – but my grandson sure loves it. Stamp the Skylar image, color as desired. When cutting out the parts, add a little tab at the top center of Skylar's breast to elevate his head when attaching. Assemble Skylar with brads and eyelets. In this design, Skylar's feet and head are put on his body with brads, and his wings are attached with eyelets. In order to make Skylar flap his wings, punch a very tiny hole in each wing just above where the wings will be attached to the body. Set the wings with eyelets – it is important not to set the eyelets too firmly so that the wings easily move back and forth. Attach a thin elastic cord in the small holes to span from wing to wing after the wings are attached to the body. Then attach a second cord to the center of the cord that spans the wings and let it dangle down. Glue two punched circles on either side of the end of the cord to make it easy to pull. Attach Skylar to card, scrapbook page, or other project with a foam mount on his head only to allow the rest of his body to move freely when the cord is gently pulled.

Before assembling Skylar, you could also laminate for a sturdier version.

Old Dog - New Tricks

I've now made my maiden voyage through cyberspace to make a few posts to my fledgling blog. I thought it impossible to learn -- but trial and error is a good teacher when there are no other instructors available at 1:30 a.m.! I have been rewarded by discovering as I made a post earlier today (or was it still yesterday?) that someone had visited. I had a comment! From who else but my night owl friend, Kathy Cano-Murillo. Where does she find the time -- she is under the gun to finish her exhibit for the Heard Museum! Well, this old dog is learning new tricks and maybe I can learn to craft all night too.

Starry Eyes

Skylar is taking flight. Here is the latest card he appears on and how it was made.
Use a full sheet of cardstock folded in half for card base.

Stamp Skylar, color with watercolor pencils and accent his eyes and beak with crystal lacquer. When dry cut out the stamped image and glue together as desired, in this example, the wings are glued in back of the breast and the head is glued on last to make him in a fixed position.

Make the full moon with a circle template out of yellow cardstock – use an orange ink pad to sponge on shading.
Cut tree branch (use the template below as a guide) out of brown cardstock and distress in the following way
Wad up, smooth out and sponge w/ light brown dye ink pad, repeat and sponge w/darker brown ink pad, repeat again and sponge w/black ink. To reach your desired result, you may want to sponge some more color with another ink tone. Use a Black water color pencil to add the cragginess and roughness of bark on the limb.

Assemble by first putting down the moon, branch second, Skylar third with foam mounts to place him on top of the branch Make sure he is a silhouette against the moon.
Add embellishments:
A tiny and medium star punch for white stars and a leaf punch. Use glitter glue and glitter to add a little sparkle in the sky.

You can find Skylar here: theneonrainbow.etsy.com

Rainbow Glitters

Rainbow Glitters Post Script

This little gif represents the essence of The Neon Rainbow. To shower love. Please stay tuned for my latest card designs which I hope to post soon. In the meantime, please stop by and take a look at theneonrainbow.etsy.com

Meet Skylar

Meet Skylar!

A natural born unmounted rubber stamp created from one of my son's drawings. We have finally taken flight after some time spent in designing, thinking, and planning. Skylar was our first choice for rubber and then we added some of his "friends". To name a few, all good subjects for Halloween cards, are Frankie, Bones, and Pumpking Head. They are movable if you want them to be by putting them together with brads, or keep in a fixed position by simply gluing their parts together.

This then, announces the "Grand" opening of theneonrainbow.etsy.com. The rubber stamp images there are all unmounted which makes for easier storage and less costs for shipping and handling. We expect to add more images in the near future.

After a recent visit with a stamping friend who inquired about the progress of putting some of my son's designs into rubber stamps, I was again motivated to share these ideas with others. Another motivator and a person I very much admire is a fellow Phoenician, Crafty Chica, aka, Kathy Cano-Murillo. She is an inspiration to me -- she can't possibly be taking time out to sleep at night. I am a night owl, but Kathy has much more to show for those sleepless nights than do I.

Kathy does everything from personally answering e-mails, writing books and articles, to crafting and glittering everything in sight. She just recently developed and debuted her own line of products through Duncan for the Michael's stores which requires personal appearances and travel. But that's still not all -- she can be seen on TV doing craft segments. The reason I know all of this about her is that she sends out a "newsletter" every day with interesting commentary if it is nothing more than sharing a picture of a bin of "personal watermelons" at a local grocery store - which she turns into entertainment.

So, thanks to my inspirors (new made up word, I think) -- the neon rainbow begins to rain rubber. And, my blog is no longer silent.