Life Would Be Unbearable...

Friday was my wedding anniversary. Hubby and I have been married 36 years (of course I got married when I was 12). We met in California when we were both attached to the 54th Military Police Company at Fort Ord.

So I made this anniversary card for hubby. I used a Squigglefly digi image called Polar Bears by artist Deena Parreault. I used it because the inside of my card has the sentiment: "Life would be unbearable without you in it!"
I love using all shades of teal, so I decided to go with a color-blocking card design. It really is a very simple clean card, which I do very rarely, but sometimes you know you have to change up your style so you don't get into a slump.
Have a Squigglefly image and an idea for a card? Come join the new challenge at the Squigglefly Challenge Blog:
"Go to the Corner! Ever get told that by your teacher? Well I am telling you now because that is the challenge this week! Let's see a wonderful card and top it off some fun decor in the corner. A die cut, embellishment, punch? I can't wait to check out what you make!"
As you can see, I used both white and black pearls in my corners to jazz up the blocks of color. So, what are YOU going to put into your corners for this challenge? Whatever you decide on, have fun and keep crafting!

Candy War

 Today I have another Halloween card.  I decided to use another stamped image from artist Coriander Shea Detwiler, called Orc.

I like to celebrate halloween in a BIG way, with lots of decorations, handmade cards, special treats, bowlfuls of candy, and hopefully a day off!  So for this card I used a Queen Kat Designs stamp.  I decided to go, well, BIG!  I stamped the image several times and made an army of trick or treaters!!

I found some pieces of leftover patterned papers in my Halloween stash. I used the biggest piece in my background, and tore a piece of stitched paper for the "battle ground".  I fussy-cut the pieces of candy corn to make the "spoils of war".

I colored my Orcs with my Copics, keeping them all in different shades of green.  The sentiment was from a snag in the clearance aisle at Hobby Lobby.

If a homeowner is brave enough to answer their call for candy, I think they'll bring in a great haul of treats, don't you?  Orc by Coriander Shea can be found this month in the QKD SHOPPE. along with more fun Halloween stamps.

BOO! said the Warrior ORC

...and if I met an Orc who said BOO to me, I would not want to stick around!  I saw ALL the Lord of the Rings movies.  Those Orcs were creepy.  But...
this little Orc doesn't seem very creepy, does he?  In fact, he looks a little, shh, don't let him hear... well...CUTE!

This Queen Kat Designs stamp is called ORC and is from artist Coriander Shea Detwilter.  I found some small leftover pieces of patterned papers that seemed to build a landscape of sorts for my little warrior.  I cut out some glittery clouds from another piece of patterned paper and popped a beautiful, flourish-y 3D Halloween sticker on my card.  Then I colored my image with Copics and adhered him onto the Halloween flourish.  I added an orange "BOO" sentiment label to finish off my card.

Do you like Halloween as much as I do?  Show off your love for this spooky holiday with a card using one of the many Halloween stamps, like ORC by Coriander Shea, offered at the SHOPPE!!

Who Wants Candy???

Every month or so, my mom, sisters and I get together for a girtls' day out.  Most times we go to my single sister's house where the distractions of kids and husbands is absent.  Often we invite my daughter, who is a senior in high school.  Now that I have a daughter-in-law, we invite her too.  And every so often, each of us brings a little gift for the others.

Here is my gift to each of them for October.  I had such fun coloring Winnie, a Squigglefly digi image, for this week's challenge, that I had to make more.  Then I found a fantastic deal at Goodwill, and as you can see, I have a candy box for each of them!!

These little houses even came with the little scoop you see in the forefront of the photo.  I really had a hard time embellishing the container--not because I didn't have enough Halloween goodies to put on--I had too many!!  I wanted people to be able to see the goodies inside, so I had to be very conservative with my embellishments.

I lined the bottom of my box with felt fusions black spider webs.  Lucky I had some spray adhesive--nothing else worked!!  I attached a piece of patterned paper to the oputside bottom of the box, with the pattern viewable from the inside.  I also attached another piece to the back protion of the roof.  A Halloween sticker sits on the front of the roof, and a few stars are scattered around the sides of the box.

Winnie, by artist Jane Beljo, stands waiting to welcome guests to take their treats.  I colored her with Copics and used dimensional tape to attach her.  The front part of the roof opens, and the scoop has a slot in which it rests with the handle sticking out, just like at those bulk candy stores.

Do you like Winnie?  She's available for purchase--the nice thing about digi's is that you get them FAST! right to your email.  You can also resize them, turn them around and even print in different colors (although I haven't tried that one yet LOL).  Go check out the Squigglefly Store and after you get some images, join us at Squigglefly Challenge Blog for a chance to win some images FREE!

Spooky Squigglefly Challenge Card

Today I had lots of fun with a cute Squigglefly digi image called Winnie from artist Jane Beljo.  I popped her onto a stair-step card.  This type of card is easy to make, but lots more fun to embellishment!  There are loads of tutorials on PaperCraft planet and Splitcoast Stampers.

I colored Winnie with Copics and fussy-cut her.  Then I started on the scene of her trick-or-treating adventure.  I had some lovely spider web felt fusion border leftover from previous projects, so I used it on the first, shortest "step".  I added some card candy receive in a swap on my Yahoo Group, Your Scrapbook Place.
Next I wanted to set the scene with some 3D stickers I had in my Halloween stash.  That went into the background onto my third, tallest "step".
Then I took my time deciding where to place Winnie, as she is the focus of my card, and I didn't want to lose her.  From there, I added a couple tombstones and some floating ghosts and my card is complete.
I love to make these stair step cards, as their presentation is so pretty, whether it's in the envelope or standing up on someone's desk.  I hope you like my card.  It's going to be entered into Squigglefly's newest challenge, which is to make a Halloween card.  I think my card qualifies, don't you?? LOL
If you haven't started to collect Squigglefly digi images yet, click for some FREEBIES and you will be hooked on their huge offering of cute, realistic, vintage, quirky and/or whimsical images.  There are images for everyone and anyone's card making tastes!  Then enter your card into the Squigglefly Challenge Blog for a chance to win free digi's!!!  Free and free, that's my kind of challenge!!
Meanwhile, crafters, have fun with the season and keep crafting!

Playing with Your Food

Today I want to show off a card I made using a House Mouse stamped image.  When it comes to Halloween treats, to each his own, I say.  My hubby likes those nasty, I mean not-tasty-to-me, peanut butter kisses that are wrapped in orange and black paper.  I like the caramels, which he can't stand.
So these little mice are more than happy with their Halloween haul of peanuts!  And let's face it, when we have a treat in front of us, the world is right.  It is the simple pleasyres in life that make it so.
I colored my image with COpics, double-matted it and popped it onto a piece of leftover patterned paper.  I used K&Co Fall-colored borders, threading my fibers through the top border.
Inside I put a "definition" quote sticker about Autumn and a lovely stamped sentiment about friendship.  I am in a House Mouse & Friends Card Swap for September on PaperCraft Planet and this is going out ot my partner with a little treat.

Do You Dream in Color?

I do!  That's where I was inspired to make this card using the colors shown here.  Memories of my dream are hazy now.  I remember a bonfire, with purple smoke billowing from it, in a forest of greens sparkling in the firelight.  So when I started coloring Shire Uni by artist Marianne English, I naturally grabbed Copics in those colors I slept with.

I circle cut out my image and distressed it with Tim Holtz Bundled Sage Distress Ink.  The patterned paper is leftover from a previous project, and I glitzed it up with some Stickles and jewels.  Some jewel flourishes finish off my card.
Shire Uni can be found at the QKD SHOPPE, along with so many gorgeous images and fabric blocks.