Spooky Cuttlebug Challenge!

Hey there! It's been a lazy end of the week since the boys have been gone! No running every night to one activity or the other, making sure everyone is fed, referee-ing fights . . . I miss ' em terribly, but I'm enjoying it :0)

SO!! I got a chance to have some fun stamping. When I saw the Cuttlebug Challenge Blogs Wednesday post I was very excited to play along. Any altered item (preferebly out of your recycle bin), just not a card! Hmm . . . what to do, what to do. I wanted to do something for Halloween (cause I REALLY wanted to use the Spider Web embossing folder). I decided to make a treat container out of and empty can that used to hold pineapple chunks. Its a little bit larger than the normal size - it's 20 oz. Here's how it turned out . . .



Pretty cute huh? I made a corresponding gift card that can be tied to the handle. Here's a close up of the card.

Aren't these stamps adorable?! They are both images from Anna Wights Spooky Expressions set for Whipper Snapper. You've got to check them out - Hocus Pocus is another fav, and her newest Halloween set is on my wish list too :0) I was originally planning on embossing black cardstock, but I decided to go for a vintage feel to coordinate with the Crafty Secrets vintage halloween images I used around the card. So, I embossed on white and distressed around the edges with Ranger distress ink in sepia. I matted the white on black cardstock I had originally started out with, so when you open the gift card, the reverse web design still shows - pretty cool!

I used 3 images from the Crafty Secrets Vintage cuts sheet around the can. They are all so adorable :0) I matted each one on a coordinating piece of colored cardstock and then on black. Hard to tell, but I faux stitched around each image as well. And one last added note. A 4 1/4 X 11 strip of card stock is perfect to fit around this can. And even better, you can easily stick the embossing folder on each end of the cardstock to get the image easily all the way around!!

I used my Crop-o-dile to punch two holes on either side (works like a charm and so effortless). Then used some rusty wire to create the handle. For a little added touch I tied this gorgeous black and tan striped ribbon around the handle and added a cute little skeleton jingle bell - I even rubbed a little sepia ink on him to age him a little bit more :0)

There are lots of details on this one, but in the end, my favorite part is the web background. I LOVE how the distressing ink emphasizes it so much more. This is definitely a fav!!

Thanks for stopping by, hope you have a very relaxing weekend!


Recipe:

Stamps: Spooky Expressions - Whipper Snapper (AnnaWight)

Ink: Ranger Distress ink - sepia, Black Stazon

Paper: SU naturals white, black, Bazzil, Crafty Secrets Halloween Time Vintage Cuts

Accessories: Cuttlebug, Spider Web embossing folder, Ribbon - (Heidi :0), buttons - ??, SU! scallop border punch, Martha Stewart border punch, rusty wire, skeleton jingle bell (Michaels)

MFT Idol Chalenge - Frame It!

This is my submission for another week of My Favorite Things Idol Challenge. The top contestans have been whittled down to four! The fune parrt is that judgegs can participate aong with the same theme for a chance at winning a $10 gift cerrtificate. This weeks theme was "Frame It" those words were up to your interpretation. I decided to make an altered clothespin picture holder and coordinating frame.

I borrowed the Friends Furever set from my friend Katie. I think the set is sooo cute and would look perfect paired with a picture of Mr. Buckles when he was a puppy. I used the DCWV "Pet Stack" PP and created a little collar to go around the holder with some ribbon and a brass accent from SU! Hodge Podge Hardware. I stamped the little kid and puppy, colored him with copics, cut the image out and adhererd him to the frame corner. Paws were hand drawn and the name on the tag was comuter generated and then stamped the tag over it.

Thanks for looking!

Recipe:

Stamps: My Ffavorite Things-Friends Furever

Paper: SU!, DCWV Pet Stack

Ink: Staz On Black, Copics, SU! pads - Tangerine Tango, Pacific Point

Accessories: Clothespin - Oriental Trading, Ribbon/Twine - Michaels, SU! Hodgeg Podge Hardware

Paper Challenge Birdie

So once again I'm behind on my monthy paper challenge with my friends at work and once again the "hounding" has started. But this time I'm only behind by less than a week. So this weekend was all about getting those done (in between Ju Jitsu, rained out baseball games, cards with friends, watching the Backhawks WIN!!! and spending too much money at a friends jewelry party :))

Any-hoo, I submitted a request to my PCG's for a "springy" paper and this is what I got. Unfortunately, the paper name was not listed on the back of the single 12x12 I received. I knew I wanted to play with these little paperboard birdie shapes I got at Michaels. 12 of them in a pack for less than $3.00!!! They're sturdy, easy to Cropadile through and just too darn cute! I fell in LOVE with them when I say Anna Wight play with them. You can check out her fabulous version here.

Each wing was created using one white silk flower. I cut the flower in different sized wedges and then secured each layer on top of each other with a glue dot. The final layer is a punched out heart. I stamped on the little wooden tags with staz on brown. They're too cute. A package of six already distressed - gotta love it!

And what better card to go with this darling little birdie than an equally darling little bird-house card. I finished up using the scraps from the paper challenge to create the roof of the house. I created the template and popped up the roof to give the house some dimension. I wanted the card to coordinate with the birdie so I used the same ribbon on the bottom perch/porch. I used my Crafty Secrets Bird Notes stamp set to stamp on the inside of the card positioned so that it would show through the hole to the front of the card. So, what do you think? Worth the wait right ;0)

Thanks for looking, havee a GREAT week!

Recipe:

Stamps: Crafty Secrets Bird Notes,Michaels (Studio G $1 bin)

Paper: Cardstock SU!, PP is unkown

Ink: Staz On (Brown), Ranger distress ink (Sepia), Coor Box Chalk Ink (Olive Pastel)

Accessories: Joanns -ribbonFX, Wooden tags, Michaels - ribbon, bird shapes, wire, bells, Paper studio buttons, silk flowers, Su! copper cording, sewing machine

Coffee Shop Cards

Some friends and I have started to make some cards to send to a coffee shop in Ohio to sell! Here's a very simple gift card holder I came up with last night. The belly band around the middle slide off so you can open the card. You can't really tell from the picture, but the band is crimped to give some texture. I showed the card to my DH and he thought it was one of those sleeves you put AROUND the coffee cups to keep your hands from burning :0) Here's the inside. I didn't add the notches for the gift card yet, and I may still do a few minor changes but I think it's O.K. So would you buy this? and if so, how much would you be willing to spend? Recipe:
Stamps: Gel-A-Tins Coffee Break
Papers: SU!
Accessories: Crimper, circle spellbinders and cuttlebug

Darn Smudges

One of my sons is a leftie, the only one of us in our family. That has created some issues that the rest of us can't relate to. One of them being constant smudges on all his work, clothes and hands. It really annoys him, especially when he is TRYING to be neat. So was the case last night when he was trying to finish up his book report. He was supposed to read a poem and either add on to it or rewrite it in his own way. So he chose to rewrite the Boa Constrictor poem by Shel Silverstein. I suggested he draw a picture to go with it and that's when the trouble began! Red Smudges! You would have thought the world was going to end. And apparently, since I had suggested the idea, it was all my fault. So mom to the rescue, of course. Luckily I had given him a sheet of watercolor paper to write and draw on. I got out my reinkers and blended all those smudges away with a nice background wash of bliss blue, a little kiwi kiss, and the red smudges.

I think he was happy with the way it turned out. At least I got mentiooned in the poem :0)