Anything Goes at Forever Night Creepy Challenges

What a great way to end the year--a great challenge and the news that I will be a 2012 DT member for Forever Night Creepy Challenge Blog!!  So please hop on over to the blog and check them out--you can celebrate your dark side of crafting, where it's Halloween all year round!!  Tell them Pat sent you!!

The Anything Goes Challenge runs through January 3, and her's my entry.  I used two of my fave images from Queen Kat Designs, Holly Fairy from artist Catherine Swinford, and Vampire Bat Eye by artist Nora Blansett.  First, I used patterned papers from DCWV stacks.  The I colored my images with a mix of Copics and Spectrum Noir.  I fussy-cut both images, using only a part of each.  The sentiment was printed in Word and punched with an scallop oval punch, and distressed with Tim Holtz Distress Inks.  I drew the "cracks" in the sentiment freehand.
I had the most fun with the embellishments.  I used some gross grain black ribbon along the side, and part of a feather and jingle bell wreath embellishment that was 70% discounted at Joann's!  A black flower covers the end of the feather embellie.
Do you like my card?  I love the sentiment: "Be careful what you wish for..."  I think this fairy asked for a pet, but didn't specify what kind.  I think Santa's evil twin (look for the book by Dean Koontz-I have it out for overnight guests to read before going to bed-guaranteed nightmares) has a morbid sense of humor, don't you?
I hope you were very specific when you made your wish list this year!!  Happy crafting, y'all!!

Christmas Wishes

Well, the presents are wrapped and under the tree. The food is in the fridge (or thawing out) and I'm starting on the pies.  The lights are on, the tree is up, the house smells like peppermint and holly and pumpkin pie.  Are you ready for Christmas?

I made this card earlier in the month so I could mail it off to a friend.  I used a Queen Kat Designs stamp from artist Catherine Swinford called Holly Fairy.  It's another simple card--white embossed image onto red cardstock, faux stitching, adhered to patterned paper base and embellished with a funky "Noel" and a glittery butterfly.

I look at this fairy as she bends over her gifts.  I like to think that, as a fairy, there are wishes in those boxes, not toys or clothes.  Wishes for people who need miracles, like my little Girl Scout who has a brain tumor and wants more time here on earth...like my friend's son who is deployed in Afghanistan and wants to return safely to his family...like my friend's family who have lost their jobs and their home and wish for cheap housing and job opportunities...like those East Coast families whose homes were lost to the Hurricane and are still without shelter as winter arrives...like the families of those young children lost to the insanity of a young man with a gun.

If Holly Fairy were to give me one of her boxes, I would wish for someone else's miracle this Christmas.  I have enough shoes and sweaters and tech toys and crafting supplies.  I have a home and food and a job and a car.  I have a healthy husband and kids and grandkids and sisters and Mom (and even a Grandma who's 102 years old!).  I have the luxury to give away my wish to someone who really needs it.  And for that, I drop down to my knees and thank God every day.

So this Christmas, enjoy the love, the lights, the food and family.  Make a wish for someone who has that missing in their lives.  Make it a Merry Wish!!

Holly Fairy in Red

I had so much fun with this new Queen Kat Designs December release stamp!!!  The stamp is called Holly Fairy and is by artist Catherine Swinford.  The first card I'm showing you is a simple corner fold card.  I stamped and then embossed in red on some CTMH double-sided Christmas patterned paper.  I left the coloring to a minimum to let some of the pattern show through.
When I folded the corner, I knew I wanted to layer it with red cardstock to frame the scene.  I put a bling snowflake where I would normally have put a big blossom, and added a few sprinkles of jewels.  Then I pulled the whole scene together with some faux stitching around the edges.
My sentiment is a metal tag from Tim Holtz Idealogy Word Bands, reading: "Possibility begins with Imagination".  Very simple, very pretty, very easy!!  And it will go in the mail at regular postage rates!  That's a win-win card!
QKD is releasing some gorgeous fun stamps this month--go check them out at the Shoppe!