Gathering Quite a Pile of Halloween Cards

 

Here's my newest Halloween card for the "Halloween & Other Occasions Challenge blog. If you're looking for a cool way to have a stack of cards ready for a holiday, choose a challenge blog and enter a card each month with the same theme, like Halloween for HOOC . There are several Christmas challenge blogs as well!!

My card today features a stamp from Queen Kat Designs. She no longer offers stamps, but has renewed her inventory to include crocheted animals and "Adults ONLY" coloring books. Look her up on Amazon.

Meanwhile, I used a few die-cuts I found while organizing my craft supplies. using one to frame the stamped image. I used an old punch on the corners of my cards The witch is a puffy embellishment I found on my basement floor while packing away Halloween for the year! 

The rest is cardstock and patterned paper. I hand-printed the greeting on the front, as well as the sentiment on the inside that reads:

 "Don't wait dinner on me. Traffic is a nightmare."

 

 

Welcome to the 31 Days of Halloween - DAY 25

 

Today I created another Halloween wall art, although right now it's sitting on my bedroom shelf. The walls are getting pretty full by now. Maybe I'll keep it as shelf decor...

Anyway,  had the perfect three pieces of wood in my garage to make my sign today. I painted each a different Halloween color and then used Posca markers to  fill in the words and symbols. I still need to seal them with gloss varnish. If I do so, I might be able to hang it off my front deck railing. I've started placing some of last year's Halloween makes in the yard and on the deck and ramp.

My house may be decorated to the nines, but my neighbors have me beat with their 12 foot high skeletons and air-filled, store-bought decorations.  

Welcome to the 31 Days of Halloween - DAY 14

 

I finally broke down and made one of those quaint road crossing signs I'm seeing everywhere on Pinterest. It actually turned out cuter than I thought it would. I dug into my bin of wood pieces and puled out a bag of thin wood pieces about 6"x2.5". After painting them with acrylic paints, I used my Posca markers to letter some of the "mysterious destinations" and also sticker letters for others. I made six, but the ones pictured here are my favorites.

I also dabbed on some Tim Holtz alcohol inks to "age" the signs so they look a tiny but weather-beaten. Instead of spending an hour looking for the "perfect stick" to attach them, My eyes spied a very old 12" ruler that had seen much better days. I hot glued my destination signs onto it and it looks pretty cool up against one of the bushes, half in and half out of the sun.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas Halloween here at the Martin homestead. Do you decorate for this Autumn holiday? Do you make cards and send them out to neighbors and friends? Or do you just wait until Thanksgiving and Christmas to let your creativity soar? In my neck of the woods, Halloween is getting to be as popularly decorated as Christmas. 

Challenges I am Entering:

Daisy Chain - Autumn and/or Halloween

Halloween & Other Occasions - Halloween

Welcome to 31 Days of Halloween - DAY 9

 

Here's my second Dollar Store DIY using plastic partyware and a little creativity. Today I used a leftover ghost from last year. He stands atop one of two plastic trays whose bottoms I painted black. Between the tiers is a glass lined with lace. The top tray is lined with gold jewels. Simple but plenty of spirit for a Halloween class party, party or to entertain friends over an afternoon snack.

My only regret is that I had to use E6000 glue in addition to hot glue so that my trays wouldn't fall apart, which makes them difficult to store. But can you just see the finger sandwiches I can serve to my friends...

31 Days of All Hallows Eve - Day 26 - Golden Skull Wall Art

 

My make today features the golden skull. Why did I italicize those words? I don't know, it sounds like an Indiana Jones movie title. Anyhow, the skull came off a Dollar Store skeleton. Since he was dead already, I cut his head off his body and took off the back half of his skull. Then I painted it gold.

The "canvas" is one of the few boxes I got from the Dollar Store via the thrift store. I peeled the Easter Bunny decoration off the box and used Mod Podge to adhere part of a Halloween napkin onto it to create the background. 

As I was painting the sides of the box, the gold paint over-ran onto the front, so I made sure the gold made a sort of border. After my skull was dry, I used hot glue to adhere it onto my canvas. I pulled out a piece of laced burlap and some twine. I added some Fall leaves and a sunflower and my project is finished.

CHALLENGES I AM ENTERING:

Try It on Tuesdays - Halloween

Unicorn Challenges - Halloween

31 Days of All Hallows Eve - Day 16 - Gaze into my Crystal Ball

 

My bins of craft supplies are like Mary Poppins' carpet bag. Today I pulled out a crystal ball I had bought from Dollar Store last October. It was decorated...okay, but not what I really wanted. So I removed the ball from its base and covered it with Black chalk paint.

After it dried, I added my accessories: part of a necklace chain that had broken (I swear I don't know how to throw anything out), a couple of leftover skulls from the Dollar Store skeletons, some moon and star buttons, and these weirdly-shaped glass beads that looked like leaves (part of a necklace I bought at Savers for $1.50) and a string of sees beads I had got on clearance who knows when (I don't).

There was a little color clashing going on, so I brushed some gold acrylic paint onto those accessories. Then I had to edge both the top and bottom of the base with gold. Before putting the globe back onto its base, I put batteries in a set of twinkle lights (I inherited a shoe box full of these) and placed the lights into a ball of batting. Once the globe was on with the lights glowing eerily through the batting, I was very happy with the effect! and since my bf had ordered the polyester batting from Amazon, she had tons of leftover, which found its way to my house (the bag of batting was as big as Santa's bag on Christmas Eve).

And now comes the best part...come closer while I look into my crystal ball. Do I see love entering your life? Should you not travel our of the country until next year? What will my magical crystal ball tell you about your own future???  

CHALLENGES I AM ENTERING:

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes

A Place to Start - Anything Goes  

Corrosive Challenges - Anything Goes

We Love 2 Create - Anything Goes

Getting Ready for Christmas at Ike's World Challenge Blog

OMG I can't believe 2019 flew by so fast! Here it is, 22 days before Christmas! I may still have a ton of things to do, but one thing I have finished is making my Christmas cards for the year. I mailed some out just after Thanksgiving, and the rest are for family and friends I'll be seeing throughout the next 3 weeks. Whew!!
This month Ike's World Challenge Blog asks crafters to create something on the lines of "Getting ready for Christmas." I  like a well-decorated home for this holiday, so I created a card featuring a previous year's Christmas freebie image from Ike's Art Store, which just happens to be a lovely table decoration (it doesn't go on the dinner table since that will be over-weighted by platters of holiday fare).
Since both my image and my patterned paper are design busy, I kept embellishments at a minimum. After coloring my image with Copics, I added a little Stickles for sparkle, a few tiny jewels for same, and some faux stitching that makes a nice homey border.
How did you do on your holiday cards? Did you make your goal? Are you short a bit? I may just have an excess this year! I'll either save them for next year, or find more people to give them to. That's using some Christmas spirit, isn't it? LOL
Don't forget to link up whatever you choose to create with the main blog for your last chance to win your choice of free digis from Ike's Art (last chance in 2019, that is!). Happy Holidays to all the lovely and talented ccrafters out there!

Thankful for Good Friends on the Path of Positivity

When my son got married, her parents and my husband and I started a friendship that, just like marriage, became stronger as time went by. We even took a cruise together before hubby became too sick to travel. He's gone now, but I'm so thankful that we have and continue to get along so well together.
I'm also thankful for being able to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary this month. I created this card for them using a digi image from Scribbles Designs, one of the guest sponsors for the Path of Positivity Challenge Blog. The image is called Champagne Glasses, and it's a FREEBIE! I used Copics to color the image and pulled out all the gold papers and embellishments I could find from my stash to create the rest of the card..

 I decorated both faces on the inside of the card as well as the front. I found the perfect quote (top) and an awesome poem to congratulate them. The font I used is called Violetta.

I am sure they will like the card, as Toni (the other MIL) is a frequent customer when it comes to cards. In fact, she was over the moon last Christmas when she opened her gift from me - a dozen handmade cards. 

You have until the end of the month to create and link your project to the Path of Positivity challenge blog for your chance to win the following prizes:

Challenges I am Entering:

Two Weddings and a Shower

Today I made a wedding card for my sister's son-in-law and his bride-to-be. The digital image is from A Day for Daisies called "I Do". After coloring the happy couple with Copics, I cut it in an oval and attached lacy trim for a border. After adhering this to my card front, there was very little room for embellishments other than a few jewels in the corners.

The family lives in Germany so I used my two semesters of German language classes (and a little help from Pinterest) for the greeting on the front of my card... 

...a "loose" translation of a quote from Maya Angelou for the upper inside

(A successful marriage requires one to fall in love many times,

always with the same person)...

...and a congratulatory wedding sentiment on the bottom inside. I think the couple will understand what I've written. Well, if not, at least they will know who it's from!

I'll post the shower and wedding card I made for one of my "all grown up" Girl Scouts at a later date. This card was needed for my trip to Germany,and the others for my return.

Challenges I am Entering:
 Classic Design Team Open Challenges - Anything DT Goes
Leann's World 101 - Anything Goes
Love to Craft - Anything Goes
Your Scrapbook Place -Anything Goes
World Wide Open Design Team - Anything DT Goes

Sheepski Designs Sponsors Your Scrapbook Place

Here comes another Anything Goes challenge at Your Scrapbook Place. This month's guest sponsor is Sheepski Designs, and my DT make today uses a cute image from the store.
I made what I would call a CAS card. I have trouble with them, as I don't like to leave a lot of white space. So I covered half my card with patterned paper, and bordered each side with faux stitching in coordinating colors.
I cut out a plush rug for my kitty to sleep on, nice and cozy. I blinged up my card with a couple strips of adhesive jewels, and added a hand-lettered sentiment. AND managed to leave the rest of the card alone!! CAS cards will never be easy for me, but I'm taking it one step, or rather one card, at a time.
Meanwhile, Sheepski Designs is offering a gift certificate to the store to one random winner. In order to qualify for the prize, you must remember to link your cards to Your Scrapbook Place. You have the whole month, so good luck and happy crafting!

Challenges I am Entering:

Jo's Scrap Shack - Anything Goes

2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes

Crafty Animals - Anything Goes

Happy Craft - 2nd Chance Anything Goes

Finding Shades of Red on the Path of Positivity

February is a month known for many things - blustery, frigid temps in the northern hemisphere, Mardis Gras and the beginning of Lent for Catholics around the world, and showers of love in the form of candy, flowers, jewelry, dinners out, etc. to celebrate Valentine's Day.

I chose to create a Valentine's Day card for my DT make for the Path of Positivity challenge blog. The theme this month is "Shades of Red," which fits perfectly with the amount of attention thrown into affection (alliteration intended). I used a digi image from Ike's Art called "Little Miss Innocence."  She got into the spirit of the theme as well by dyeing part of her hair red. I think when she says "forever and always" she really really means it by that look in her eyes.

The Path of Positivity offers an optional challenge theme of "shades of RED" this month. Any kind of artwork is accepted, as long as it is positive, affirming or motivational. You don't need to follow the optional theme if you simply want to have a chance at the Random Draw prize of a $15 gift certificate from Ike's Art, one of the guest sponsors this month.

You only need to follow the theme if you want a chance to win an additional sponsored prize of three (3) images from Pattie's Creations, the second guest sponsor this month, for the project chosen as Most Inspiring.

Whatever you create, have fun - and don't forget to link it up with the Path of Positivity challenge blog for your chance to win great prizes!  Happy crafting!

Digital Freebie Today

I am continuing my adventures and explorations in digital paper creating, and thought I would share a patterned paper from a collection I call Satin Dreams. This one is called Nites in White Satin, and is   12 inches by 12 inches (3600 pixels x 3600 pixels) in jpg format and published at 300 dpi.Regarding TOU, please credit me if you use it. Since I don’t have a store, please use: Copyright 2016 Pat Martin, patacakespages.blogspot.com
Just click on the image to bring it up, then right click to save as.

Friendship is the Theme at the Outlawz Monday Greetings this week

I like to send my friends a card out of the blue-- not for any occasion, just to let them know I am thinking of them. So I was really happy to choose this week's theme over at the Outlawz Monday Greetings challenge. Create with the theme of Friendship in your projects and link up for your chance to win digi images from two generous sponsors:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/theeastwind

and

https://www.etsy.com/shop/SLSLines

Today I created a card for my girlfriend and neighbor, Sue. I just went to see the movie "Florence Foster Jenkins." It was hilarious. Anyway, I colored up a digi image from The East Wind called "Untitled." Gathering up my leftover pieces of patterned papers, I used color blocking in my design. My sentiment was a rubber stamp I've had forever.

Although she lives just two blocks down the street, I'm mailing my card, because lt's face it, people like to get snail mail! LOL

Okay, you have the theme (friendship), the deadline (end of week) and the motivation (digi images from the sponsors' stores). Let's see what you create this week over at the Outlawz Monday Greetings Challenge.

It's Christmas in July at Ike's World Challenge Blog

 While December 25th  is still a few months away, here in the States we celebrate Christmas in July because that's when the stores start selling ornaments, decorations and holiday lights. I kid you not, I went to Hobby Lobby and they were clearancing out their summer items to make room for their Christmas inventory!!
Well, Ike's World Challenge Blog has a new challenge this fortnight, and it is Christmas in July, crafters' style. Create a card, canvas, layout or other artsy project with Christmas in mind for your chance to win a gift certificate to Ike's Art Store.
I got to play with a digital image called Christmas Pixie. I love coloring her up in Christmas colors and decorating my cards with her. It's one of my favorite images! Did I mention that if you use an Ike's Art image, you get double chances of winning.AND Ike always offers a FREEBIE at the start of each new challenge. Why don't you check out the blog and double your chances of winning?!
Whatever you do this week, have fun!

Challenges I am Entering:

Catch the Bug - Christmas in July Tuesday BINGO grid (I chose the bottom line going across)

Holly Jolly Christmas challenges - Inspired by a Song  ("Have a Holly Jolly Christmas")

Crafty Boots challenges - Christmas in July

Get Creative challenges - Celebrations

Doodle Pantry - Anything digital image Goes

Inspired by Embossing at Ike's World Challenge Blog

We've reached the midway point of the Embossing challenge at Ike's World Challenge blog. I created my card with both dry and heat embossing, distressing the edges for an "old world" flare. I colored my image, called Flamenco, with Copics before framing her with lines of pearls and a paper doily. Of course, I like to use any excuse to embellish with a feather, which finishes off my DT card today.
By the way, my dancer is holding castanets in her hands. I picked up a pair just to try out years ago. It may look easy from the audience, but after weeks of trying and failing, which included a demonstration from my cousin (who dances flamenco with Fuego 2000 Dance Troupe), I gifted them to her. She is amazing at her art!
Hope you have a lovely week crafting. If your project includes embossing,, be sure to link it up at Ike's World Challenge blog by the 23rd! Good luck!

Challenges I am Entering:

Use Your Stuff - Heat embossing

Creatalicious Challenges - Anything Goes w/optional: No designer papers