Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Over at Creative Embellishments' October Challenge a wonderful image was post at the beginning of the month to be used as inspiration for a project. The directions say to "Simply be inspired by 1 element from the picture below and the twist is to make your project black and white. I will let a very teeny tiny bit of color slip on by" I don't know if being inspired by the WHOLE photo counts as "1 element" or if it would be the skull ... mainly ... or if it qualifies at all, but I HAD to use that image somehow!!

Anyhow, I saved the image to my computer, did a bit of editing to it, then used the stippling feature on my Silhouette Curio. For eight hours. It took eight hours to stipple the image out, and it wasn't even the "whole" image! Good thing I had other things to occupy myself with!

I'll also be entering this into the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday "Anything Goes" Challenge!


Product List:

• ReneaBouquets
• Black Shard Glitter Glass
• Ranger
• "Emboss It" Pen
• Water Pen - Nib
• Embossing Powder
• Enchanted Gold
• Antiquities Frosted Crystal
• Multi Medium Matte
• Perfect Pearls
• Forever Green
• Pewter
• Heirloom Gold
• Blue Patina
• Green Patina
• Tim Holtz
• Distress Oxides:
• Fired Brick
• Antique Linen
• Distress Ink
• Dusty Concord
• Distress Markers
• Black Soot
• Wilted Violet
• Lucky Clover
• Tumbled Glass
• Wild Honey
• Forest Moss
• Abandoned Coral
• Thinlits
• Cobweb
• Prima
• Metallique Wax
• Vintage Gold
• Bronze Age
• 3D Gloss Gel
• Sizzix
• Big Shot Plus
• a la mode clear embossing powder
• homemade alcohol inks
• 99¢ Store finds
• Green Mesh
• Orange Mesh
• Purple Lace
• Pumpkins
• Skulls
• Gold Lace
• String "web" (that became flowers - sorta)
• Purple Spider
• Received in a PocketLetter
• Bird/Birdcage
• Small black spiders
• Wood Skull Key
• the string "web" at the bottom
• unknown
• bluish-black glitter

Wedding Congratulations!

Congratulations (A wedding card)

This past weekend the husband and I went to a wedding of some very dear friends. We've known the groom for over 11 years, and about 6 1/2 years ago we met the bride. We knew that someday we would be going to their wedding, even if they didn't know it at the time! It was a beautiful ceremony, and we were so honored and happy to be there with them for it!

As for the card, it is rather straight forward. I did make the flowers myself, and was constantly reminded why I don't do that! But, I needed those colors right NOW! So I had no real choice in the matter!!

In addition to my handmade, mulberry paper flowers, there is some vintage lace (no brand, got it off eBay a few months ago), some random twine, and some unbranded stamen. Plus, the beautiful butterfly is from ReneaBouquets! It came on the business card in one of my orders, and it worked perfectly for this card!! (Thank you, Renea!)

The card stock, patterned paper, and embossed paper are all from the Simon Says Stamp November Card Kit, and the sentiment is from the Simon Says Stamp "Floral Bliss" stamp set (links at the bottom in the "Product List" area).

The inside says:
"May you forever find joy in each others eyes,
warmth in each others arms,
love in each others heart."

I just printed it out on some "linen" printer paper and used my ATG to stick it down! (Oh, I found the quote on Pinterest, I'm not that poetic!)

I will be entering this little project into the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday "Anything Goes" Challenge!

Product List:

• ReneaBouquets Butterfly 
• Mulberry paper (I made all the flowers) 
• Simon Says Stamp: 
• November Card Kit
• "Floral Bliss" Stamp Set for the sentiment
• Elmer's - Craft Bond - Glue Spots - Thin Medium
• Prima - Finnabair - Art Basics - 3D Gloss Gel - 8 Ounces
• Tim Holtz 
• Distress Oxides Ink Pads - Frayed Burlap
• Distress Ink Pads - Embossing Ink Clear
• Paper Distresser
• Wendy Vecchi 
• Embossing Powder - Watering Can
• Sizzix 
• Big Shot Plus Machine - White and Gray
• Spellbinders 
• Shapeabilities Collection - D-Lites Die - Create A Rose
• Unknown/unbranded twine 
• stamen 
• 5 petal flower dies 
• vintage laces

peace & joy

peace & joy Christmas card

A Christmas card I made specifically for my best friend! She has a "thing" for moose. Her Great Dane is named Moose, she has about six pieces of moose art in her home, a moose hook in her kitchen ... you get the idea! She LOVES moose!!

**The moose cut and the font (Aubrey) are from the Silhouette Store!**




Product List:

• ReneaBouquet: 
• Silver Glass Microbeads 
• the burgundy poinsettias & rosebuds 
• Ranger 
• "Emboss It" Pen
• Glossy Accents
• Tim Holtz 
• Grit-Paste
• Distress Glitter: Clear Rock Candy
• Distress Oxide: Candied Apple
• Distress Paint: Candied Apple
• Paper Distresser
• WOW Embossing Powder 
• Cloud 9 
• Poppy 
• Small Blooming Poinsettia (die) 
• Simon Says Stamp 
• the cream card stock for the card base & poinsettias 
• Me & My Big Ideas 
• Red & white flourish paper 
• Silhouette
• Cameo
• Curio
• Sizzix
• Big Shot Plus
• Unknown 
• the glitter for the moose (it was in a little baggy, I don't know where it came from!) 
• the burgundy card stock 
• the red seed beads 
• Mod Podge 
• Acrylic sealer (it's how I keep the glitter from falling off after it's all said & done! Just a quick coat on top!)

Halloween Pocketletter!

Halloween PocketLetter!

Close-up of the top row

Close-up of the middle row

Close-up of the bottom row

Close-up of the Julie Nutting Doll

**The mask on the Julie Nutting Doll came from the Silhouette Store! I sized it, printed it on photo paper, then fussy cut it out since I wanted it to be extra precise!**

Product List:

• ReneaBouquets
• Shard Glitter Glass: Black & Silver
• Thickers Foam Phrase Stickers: "Dream"
• Fancy Pants Designs: "Oct 31" sticker sheet & glitter cuts
• Echo Park Paper Co: 
• "The Apothecary Emporium" Alpha Stickers
• "Arsenic & Lace" paper
• My Mind's Eye: "Frightful" paper
• Sizzix -
• Big Shot Plus
• Thinlit dies from Big Shot Plus stater
• Thinlit dies from Big Shot stater
• "Banners & Hearts"
• "Basic Shapes"
• Susan's Garden 
• "Sunflower" (just the leaves)
• Ranger
• Tim Holtz
• Distress Markers: Black Soot & Wilted Violet
• Distress Oxides: Black Soot & Wilted Violet
• Distress Embossing Ink
• Distress Stains: Carved Pumpkin & Wilted Violet
• Distress Stickles: Milled Lavender
• Thinlit "Cobweb"
• "Crazy Things" stamp set (witch's hat)
• Stickles: Orange Slice
• Super Fine Black Embossing Powder
• Black Archival Ink
• Water Pen: Nib
• Glossy Accents
• We R Memory Keepers
• "Bewitched" paper
• Crop A Dile
• Shimmerz
• Paints: Coal, Orange Sherbet, & Celery
• Vibez: Sunset Strip
• Little B Stickers: Black Cat
• KaiserCraft: Clear Stickers: "Antiques" 
• "Mulberry type" flowers
• Prima 
• "E-line" flowers
• Julie Nutting "Dita"
• WOW Embossing Powder "Cloud 9"
• Elmer's Glue Spots
• 99¢ finds: purple lace, spider, "twigs"
• Scraps: silver glitter paper, black glitter paper, black & grey floral paper, and black print transparency.

the morning after

the morning after - 1953

Recently, while combing through old photos my grandma had kept over the years, I came across this photo, and I fell in love with it! I find it to be hauntingly beautiful. The remnants of packaging are scattered among the new toys that had arrived the day before. Even the lamp shade is crooked! This moment in life was captured forever by my grandma, she even provided the title! "The Morning After" had been written at the bottom of the photo.

Over at scrapbook.com, I host "The Ugly Games." (formally known as "The Ugly Paper Challenge," we had a vote!). Anywho...the object of the challenge is to use the two papers and the embellishment(s) (optional) that you are sent at the beginning of the month to create a layout! (I give out addresses on the 1st, & in short, you send a set, you receive a set). Now for my disclaimer, I'm not saying the products are themselves "ugly," the whole point of the challenge is to use papers sent to you that you may or may not have ever considered trying to combine, or they may or may not be your "style." Back in September, I received the following papers:

"The Ugly Games" papers I received in September

First, a short explanation, because these papers were sent to me during football season! I am a Kansas City Chiefs fan, and another football "nut" in the group is a Seattle Seahawks fan, and she has been patiently waiting for me to be on the receiving end during football season since the spring! The mascot for the Seahawks is Tamia the Hawk, hence the photo, and Seahawks fans are the "12th Man Army," hence the two "12" circles (apparently the Seahawks can't play without an extra person 😏) Anyhow, I normally get my layouts completed on time, but September was a draining month for me, and it seemed to affect my creative process. I knew what I wanted to create, I was just constantly running into a mental roadblock! I had actually put a layout together most of the way, but it just wasn't right! It was dull, and the lobster paper poinsettias just wouldn't blend in! I was frustrated, and that certainly didn't help my roadblock, then, as luck would have it, I saw this layout by Phyllis on the ReneaBouquet's Facebook Page, and I knew it was the inspiration I needed to get those papers used! It embodied the direction I had been trying to go, and stepped it up a notch! I actually dismantled the layout I had started, very carefully, given I couldn't replace any of the elements I had received in The Ugly Games and started anew! In fact, the Bazzill "Ash" cardstock with the Prima Crackle Paste was part of the original! (In addition to the parts created from the papers and embellishments I received.)

A closer look at the flower cluster and ReneaBouquet Silver Microbeads & Black Shard Glitter Glass (both linked at end of post) under the title!

Closer look at the cluster on the right side showcasing the flair from {A flair for buttons} (link at end of post)

Just another angle.

A close up of the Silver Glass Microbeads on some of the holly leaves! (I am seriously in love with those beads!)

Another angle!

The photo was taken from the top of the page looking down, with a good look at what I did to the pink rhinestone strip I had received! I used alcohol inks on it to change the color, dabbed on some "Foiled Again" Shimmerz Dazzlerz, and ran a wire through it so I could shape it!

Looking down at the Black Glitter Glass and Silver Microbeads that are at the top of the page.

Looking down at the cluster found on the left side of the photo!

**All of the cuts (poinsettia's, holly, ornaments) came from the Silhouette Store!**

Product List:

• ReneaBouquet:
• Silver Glass Microbeads
• Black Shard Glitter Glass
• Shimmerz
• "Coal" Paint
• "Foiled Again" Dazzlerz
• {a flair for buttons} "Tis The Season" Flair
• Hot off the Press: Black Silver Floral Foil Cardstock
• Bazzill
• "Ash" Cardstock
• Silver Metallic Cardstock
• Basic Grey: Juniper Berry "Lump of Coal" Paper
• Fancy Pants Designs
• "Collecting Moments" Sticker Fundamentals
• Tim Holtz:
• Flourish Stencil
• Distress Spray Stains: Candied Apple, Iced Spruce, & Weathered Wood
• Distress Ink: Iced Spruce
• Distress Oxide: Iced Spruce
• Paper Distresser
• Hinge Clip
• Mini Ink Blending Tool - Round
• Alcohol Inks: Cranberry & Silver
• Ranger:
• Texture Paste
• Transparent Gloss Texture Paste
• Glossy Accents
• "Gunsmoke" Stickles
• "Perfect Pearl" Perfect Pearls
• WOW Embossing Powder: Cloud 9
• Martha Stewart "Scallop Dot" Edge Punch
• Prima
• "White Crackle" Texture Paste
• "Crackle" Stencil
• DMC Silver Embroidery Floss
• a la mode clear embossing powder
• Silhouette
• Cameo
• Curio
• Unknown:
• the red paper
• the red cardstock (behind the photo)
• the green paper behind the photo
• Flat back pearls
• Silver wire
• Silver Metallic Marker
• Homemade Alcohol Inks: Black (ish) & a light purple (ish)

Midnight Fae!

Midnight Fae! Created for the ReneaBouquet's Fall In Love With Fairies October Swap!

Over on the ReneaBouquet Facebook page, DT Member, Donna, posted the ReneaBouquet's Fall In Love With Fairies October Swap! This is the tag I did for that swap to send to my swap partner!

I had a lot of frustrated fun putting this together! There were quite a few things that were a learning experiance! Sometimes I think my swap partners end up becoming guinea pigs for my experiments!

This tag is a #12 tag, but I cut it out of some corrugated cardboard from an old box. I like to reuse/recycle/repurpose when I can, so all those products I order get their boxes saved to be turned into craft projects or to be used to ship swap items out!

My first order of busines was to coat the tag with some black acrylic paint so the Prima Opal Magic Waxes would show the best, plus, I was making a "nighttime" themed tag!

A close up of bottome corner that has the Beautiful Board Fairy Kisses, Plum Glass Microbeads, and Silver Glass Microbeads, all found at ReneaBouquet. The fairy was coated in Wilted Violet & Seedless Preserves Distress Oxides, the "mulberry type" roses were sprayed with a couple of different sprays, Heidi Swapp's "Tinsel" Color Shine, & some Tim Holtz "Hickory Smoke" watered down and mixed with some "Pewter" Perfect Pearls!

A closer look at the Beautiful Board Moon Fairy from ReneaBouqet with more Silver Glass Microbeads to accent! The moon was coated in a lot of different products until I got what I wanted! Some of those porducts no longer show up, but I guess they helped add to the texture. However, the final coat was Prima's "Old Silver" Metallique Wax.

In both of the above photos, and the three below, you can see where I added some Black Shard Glitter Glass from ReneaBouquet! The texture paste used with Tim Holtz's Honeycomb stencil is "Foiled Again," by Shimmerz. (At the time of this writing, the Shimmerz website was not loading for me, sorry I couldn't add links directly to the products.)

 Product List:

• ReneaBouquet:
• Both "Beautiful Board (BB)" Fairies (Fairy Kisses, Moon Fairy)
• Black Shard Glitter Glass
• Plum & Silver Glass Microbeads
• Shimmerz Paints
• Paint: Coal
• Dazzlerz: Foiled Again
• Tim Holtz 
• Distress Oxides: Wilted Violet & Seedless Preserves
• Distress Spray Stain: Hickory Smoke
• Honeycomb Stencil
• Ranger
• Texture Paste
• Black Archival Ink
• Perfect Pearls: Pewter
• Mini Mister 
• Glossy Accents
• Wendi Vecci
• Watering Can Embossing Powder
• Prima
• 3D Gloss Gel
• Wood Embellishments: "Leaves & Mushrooms"
• Decadent Pies Watercolor Set
• Opal Magic Wax: Royal Robes & Turquoise Satin
• Metallique Wax: Old Silver & Brushed Iron
• Carta Bella "Lattice" Stencil
• Echo Park "Mini Leaves" Stencil
• Heidi Swapp Color Shine: Tinsel
• Silver wire
• Black Acrylic Paint
• "Mulberry" roses
• We R Memory Keepers Crop-A-Dile
• WOW Embossing Powder: Cloud 9
• Even though they don't exactly stand out, the "flat" flowers are composed of:
• Penny Black: tiger-lilly
• Designs By Ryn - "Flowers"
• Tim Holtz "Flower Garden"

colder weather

colder weather layout! (the shards along the edges of the torn paper behind the photo are Silver Glitter Shard Glass by ReneaBouquets, but I took the photo with no flash so there wouldn't be glare off the shards or the metallic words at the top!)

Over at scrapbook.com, Amanda (scrapanda) hosts the Music Inspiration Challenge! For September I was given the song "Colder Weather" by the Zac Brown Band (lyrics link; video link), and this is what I came up with!

Way back when... (bet. 2002-2007) I lived in Michigan. This is a photo looking out our back door towards the dilapidated old barn that was on the property. I love the snow. I miss the snow. I don't necessarily miss being cold 😄, but I have always found snow to be beautiful.




In addition to the Music Inspiration Challenge, I am also entering this in the October 1st, Stuck?! Sketches Challenge, using the following sketch as inspiration!

As you can see, I rotated the sketch 90°, and instead of rings and splatters, I used snowflakes from two Simon Says Stamps sets, "Frozen Fractals" and "Swell Christmas."

October 1st Stuck?! Sketches Challenge.

Product List:

• ReneaBouquets Silver (Shard) Glitter Glass - (this is the 1st time I've ever used it ... had to see how it worked and all! I already have other projects lined up now [in my head] and I know I have found a new product to LOVE!)
• Simon Says Stamp - "Frozen Fractals" and "Swell Christmas" stamp sets
• Shimmerz AcriTonez: "3 Sheets to the Wind"
• Tim Holtz Distress Oxide, Stain, & Spray Stain - Wilted Violet; Nib Water Brush; Distress Collage Brush; Advantus Word Keys; Mini Snips.
• Bo Bunny - Altitude Collection - Christmas - 12 x 12 Double Sided Paper - Blizzard & Noteworthy Journaling Cards; Sweet Life Collection - Chipboard Stickers
• Ranger Glossy Accents
• Prima - Finnabair: Snowflake Paste; 3D Gloss Gel; Metallique Wax - Old Silver & Brushed Iron, Opal Magic Wax - Royal Robes
• Silhouette Cameo: The font for "weather" is "Cotton Candy" from the Silhouette Store 
• Pink Paislee - Merry and Bright Collection - Christmas - Foil Stickers - Word Strips
• We R Memory Keepers - Crop-A-Dile and Case - Pink - Includes Crop-A-Dile, Case and 100 Eyelets
• EK Success - Sticko Alphas Stickers - Foam - Large - White
• The lace under the photo and the ribbon on the key were both part of the "goodies" I received from Donna (bonprof) with my September PocketLetter from her! (Neither of them was originally purple, but with a little help from some Distress Stains, all of us got to turn purple! LOL)
• The snowflake cuts I've had for quite a while. They came as a "subscriber bonus" with a Birds of a Feather Kit...and those kits haven't been released since Feb. 2016!
• The clear gem...teardrop...bling also came from a Birds of a Feather Kit, I think circa Aug. 2014.
• 'generic' white acrylic paint
• white gesso

Autumn Tag!

Autumn Tag!

Over at scrapbook.com Donna hosted a tag swap for Autumn and/or Halloween themed tags! For this swap I was partnered with Kathy and we did both themes! This is my Autumn tag, and here is the link to my Halloween tag! I'll also be entering this into the Simon Says Stamp, "Anything Goes," Wednesday Challenge!

This tag was mostly a matter of choosing where to place all of the flowers, leaves, and pumpkins! But for the background, I used the Echo Park 6x6 Woodgrain stencil with Ranger Texture Paste and randomly sprinkled Ranger's Gold, Enchanted Gold, and Wendi Vecchi's Tree Branch embossing powders! (I have no idea the origin of the paper I used!) After the texture paste was dry I used my heat gun on the powders! (If you do it while the paste is wet it will bubble, or so Tim Holtz warned, and I take what Tim says VERY seriously!! 😁)

After the background was created I just started arranging things and gluing them in place than added a bit of 'vintage' lace at the bottom and the last bit of my (unknown) velvet ribbon at the top!

Close ups of the cluster!

Products Used:

• The leaves, the netting looking stuff, and the pumpkins I found in my local 99¢ store!
• Echo Park 6 x 6 stencil: Woodgrain
• Little Birdie: Vintage Elements - Symphony Flower Cherry; Vellum Elements - Poinsettia - Lemon; Vellum Boutique Flowers - Sunset Orange
• Petaloo: Darjelling Collection: Wild Blossoms x 9 Med - Paprika
• Ranger: Glossy Accents; Texture Paste; Embossing Powers - Gold, Enchanted Gold, & Wendi Vecchi Tree Branch
• Fancy Pants Resin Flowers: Autumn Hues & Vintage Hues
• Unknown velvet ribbon & unknown laces!
• Unknown origin for the paper used on the background!

Halloween Tag!

The photo behind the claw marks is holographic! There is a close-up further down the post.

Over at scrapbook.com Donna (bonprof) hosted a September tag swap! There were two categories, Autumn and Halloween. You didn't have to do both, but I did, and this is my Halloween tag that was sent down to Kathy in Australia! (Here's where you can see the Autumn tag!)

And, thanks to perfect timing, I'll be entering this tag in the Simon Says Stamp, "A Walk On The Darkside," Monday Challenge, and the Simon Says Stamp, "Anything Goes," Wednesday Challenge!

I actually did a lot of mixed media work on the background when I started because I wasn't entirely sure what direction I'd be going. I knew I wanted to use a photo behind the claw marks, but I didn't know what kind of photo or how big ... then I just happened to turn around in the Halloween isle when I saw the package of holographic "photographs" hanging up! Now, you can only really see the Prima White Crackle Paste coated in ink along the edges!

The lace along the edge also didn't start out as an orangish-rust color, it was white, but with some help from Tim Holtz's Distress Spray Stains in Carved Pumpkin and Rusty Hinge, I made the lace match my theme!

After all that it was just placing and gluing the items in place! Although I did use some black craft foam to pop up the purple paper above the photo after using the Claw Thinlits to cut matching marks!

The full tag at the top of the post shows the color best. The colors here are a little distorted because of the lighting change needed for a close-up of the holographic images!

Products Used:

• The holographic photo, wired burlap ribbon, black & gold rose, "twigs," purple lace, and purple spider I found in the Halloween and/or Autumn decor sections of my local 99¢ store!
• The orange lace on the edge I received in a lot of 'vintage' lace off eBay.
• 'Mulberry' flowers (orange roses)
• Joelle's Halloween Fabric Flowers: the black burlap flowers.
• Tim Holtz: Thinlits - Claw Marks, Distress Spray Stains - Hickory Smoke, Carved Pumpkin, and Rusty Hinge, Distress Oxide - Black Soot
• Sizzix Big Shot Plus
• Heidi Swapp Color Shine: Bronze
• Prima Texture Paste: White Crackle
• Ranger Glossy Accents
• Echo Park Arsenic and Lace patterened paper
• The small, black spider was actually a cheap, orange, plastic ring used as party favors! I just added a lot of Glossy Accents and Martha Stewart Onyx glitter!