Happy Halloween

Using a technique I learned from a tutorial at Gina K's Stamp TV, I inked up the embossing folder to make the greeting. The background is red card stock stamped with a Hero arts "speckled" stamp, and the edges cut with a deckle blade. The spider is from a Martha Stewart punch with an added red gem - black crochet thread provides for the spider's launch on the card.

Happy Halloween!

Don't Say Boo

In front of this dilapidated house stands three charming fellows waiting to greet their guests for Trick of Treat. The house, bats, and welcomers are made dimensional with foam mounts. The smoke is from a fabric softener sheet. The ground is textured with a Cuttlebug Embossing folder and is cut with Emaginations Peaks.

Inside to create a little action, the "Boo" sticker is affixed with a wire spring so that when my grandson opens this card it will bounce and surely scare him to pieces!

Stamps: G Studio (Hampton Art), Stampendous, other images, Sizzix and Martha Stewart.

Designed by another

Pumpkins in the Pink

I have mentioned before about my darling grand daughter's passion for pink. So here's the card I've put in the mail to her. On the inside there is a spider dangling loose on a string so that when she opens it, it will sway back and forth and scare her to pieces LOL. This picture was still on my camera when my dh and I met her for lunch to celebrate her sixth birthday and she wanted to look -- but I told her she had to wait -- but I won't make you wait 'cause Halloween doth approach. Paper overlay on purple cardstock is DCWV, layered spider is embossed with amethyst embossing powder, accents and shading with Prismacolor markers and Memories red ink pad -- most elements are on pop dots for dimension, Sizzix, Sizzlets, and all the aforementioned made this easy-peasy and incredibly pink!

More Scarey Stuff

Michelle's accordian card tutorial has brought me a lot of fun making this assortment of Halloween cards. (This time I worked alone without any help from my black cat.) Also, a reminder to visit Michelle's blog here before Halloween and get your name in the "pumpkin" for her "Bargain of the Century Blog Candy."

Stamps are from Martha Stewart, Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers, Art Gone Wild, and Peddler's Pack. The bat stamp used on the front doesn't show the title of the book - but it is one of my favs (for those of you who know how I love a play on words) "Fly By Night." Other images and shapes are Sizzix and Sizzlets and Martha Stewart punches. Watch for more scarey stuff as the day of the Great Pumpkin approaches.

Don't Be A Scaredy Cat

This black cat who hangs around outside my back door is taking all the credit for the accordian card I made with her likeness on the front. However, she won't be able to tell you that these images are from Sizzix dies, and a Martha Stewart bat punch.

The card dimensions and design are from Michelle -- (by the way, Michelle has "The Bargain of the Century Blog Candy" so be sure to stop by to check it out before Halloween) you can find her blog here and you can see the card tutorial here. This card is easy even for scaredy cats!

Get Spooky

As many of you know, my studio is in my laundry room -- I mention this again because this card was created with a used fabric softener sheet from the dryer (yes, I actually do laundry once in awhile) that was gently encouraged to stretch over a black glossy panel. The Martha Stewart cat is an awesome punch that my granddaughter had a wild time with mass producing black cats - the fence and tree are from sizzix -- three crystal gems for starlight and the moon was run through a CB folder (though it doesn't show the texture here). "Get Spooky" is a sticker mounted on CS and raised with pop dots. It's getting closer and closer to Halloween and I am still having fun making spooky things -- hope you are too!

Halloweenie Quickies

I'm so excited today -- look what I learned! After having an intense "quickie cards" making session, I learned how to put them on a slide show screen ! Ahhh, but what I lost are my
new blog borders -- eeek -- something spooky going on.

Spiders and Bats

Yes, I so know that Halloween is long since over but I must show you this card. It arrived in my mailbox as a great surprise on October 31st. This is certainly no trick but indeed a treat. This card has many things going on -- some I can identify as sizzix, some stickers, hand drawn bats -- plastic bugs, and a little soft webbing overall. I was overwhelmed to receive this spooky creation from my special stamping buddies in Canada -- Ann and Anne. They are a great team and I have had the pleasure of stamping with them on three occasions -- twice at workshops in the woods of Canada, and once in Puyallup, Washington. The card they sent me was the result of their spending a recent week-end together stamping the nights away. I look forward to another time when I can join them in their playtime. Thanks A and A!

Wild Time

After my last post and then silence, perhaps you think the wild things got me. No, though I've had somewhat of a "wild time" this past week. I played "house mom" to my great little grandkids, 5 and 11. The best part of staying at their house for 10 days was having lots of playtime with them. We had a couple of great card making sessions and my grandson came up with some good Halloween cards. The little granddaughter, became a black cat manufacturer. I have to give Martha Stewart a great big endorsement here. I own tons and tons of craft punches, but when I reluctantly paid a higher price for one of Martha Stewart's cat punches I was extremely pleased with having done so.

My little 5-year-old granddaughter was able to manipulate this punch with great skill -- it is one of the easiest to use punches I have ever seen. I kid you not, that she sat for an hour straight punching away. In some of the workshops I have conducted, I have had some adults who were unable to use some of the craft punches. Martha S has it figured out! I couldn't wait to go back to Michaels for another one -- this time, a bunny.

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.

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.

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.