Welcome to the Spookiest Month of the Year

 October is finally here, and my house is nothing but Halloween crafts, supplies, wall decor, shadow boxes, artwork, sentiments, decoration--you name it, I have it!! Today's card features an unidentified image called Betelgeuse. Although I've had this digital stamp for a few years, I believe it's the first time I've used it. I'm discovering a lot of unused craft supplies in my yearlong decluttering and organizing. 

I used leftover papers from a Halloween paper stack and leftover trim from a crafting friend, Holley Barnhart. The EEK! sentiment and the tombstone reading MISCHIEF AND MAYHEM are from the same paper stack. I found a pack of plastic spiders so one could hang from the big guy's hand.

I have a nice thick stack of Halloween cards I'll be giving to friends and neighbors this month along with a little handmade item or snack. I usually do this on either Halloween or Christmas. Last year I made Charcouterie boards with cheese and a Halloween spreader and napkin for my neighbors. I haven't decided what to make this year. Maybe I'll just do Thanksgiving and Christmas...

I also make special goodie bags for my neighbors' children. Last year the bags were filled with candy and trading cards. I better get on that because I haven't thought of what to do this year... I hope you are ready for my favorite holiday--Is it yours too?

CHALLENGES I AM ENTERING:

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."

 

 

THE ITSY BITSY HALLOWEEN SPIDER

 

My Halloween project today features a couple of small wooden signs, wall decor if you like. I found a bag of five thin pieces of wooden boards about 6 inches long, 2.5 inches tall and about a 1/4 inch thick. I used Tim Holtz's Alcohol ink (Rusty Hinge) to stain 2 pieces of wood before adhering felt spider web borders horizontally onto them. From each I added a thin ribbon and attached a black plastic spider.

I used Viner Hand ITC Regular font in Photoshop to make the plaque with the poem. Since I had a bag of these wooden boards, and enough felt border for two, I doubled my project.  When I was finished, If you can't quite read  rhyme, here it is:

The Itsy Bitsy spider was hanging on a thread

When a bird swooped down, she thought she was dead.

The bird missed the spider and sadly flew away

and the Halloween spider lived to spook another day.

Hope you like my newest Halloween project. The Halloween & Other Occasions Challenge Blog accepts all types of projects, as long as its theme is Halloween, Birthday r the monthly occasion. See you there!

 

Can't Get Halloween Out if My Head (and off my craft table)

 

Hello, Halloween lovers! Today I made a square card featuring skeletons. The background paper featuring Mr. Skeleton is from the Dead or Alive Paper collection from Rucola Designs. The Copic-colored skeleton child is from Kenny K Stamps. I haven't bought cardstock in months due to a towering stack leaning precariously in my basement, so all papers are "leftovers".

I framed my card face with lacy die-cuts I made from a scrapbook crop (and I haven't been to one in years!).  It showcases the paper well, I think. After coloring my image, which is called "Skull Man", I fussy-cut him out to place under the outstretched hand of his parent. He's so very anxious to go trick-or-treating like all the little goblins and ghosts.

I had forgotten to print my greeting, so I used my circle punch and wrote on black cardstock with white ink the words Trick or Treat. The only other embellishment I used was the cloth Autumn leaf in the top left corner.

I hope you like my Halloween card today. I am building a nice new stack of cards to send out this year. Unless I find a craft fair before the holiday, and on make a little money (m-wa ha ha). All's fair in love and crafts, right? Don't forget to check out the challenge at Halloween Crafts All Year 'round

CHALLENGES I AM ENTERING:

Welcome to 31 Days of Halloween - DAY 18

 

Another upcycle project from my many previous trips to thrift stores. Here's my nod to witches around the world. Who says they have to be bent and ugly. Mine is most fashionable. She did need a big makeover, as her skirt was hanging by a thread (literally), her hat was gone, her broom needed re-strawing (?), and her shoes had lost whatever color they originally had. She must have had a hard life, or her credit card was maxed out for a long time.

I started with her clothes, giving her a netting skirt and a shiny belt. I re-strawed her broom and tied an orange ribbon around it. I used a leftover piece of burlap for her hat, glued her hat so it wasn't in her eyes, and lastly, added a black cat near her right foot.

I may not ever be a contestant on Project Runway, but I think I nailed my witch's outfit.

Welcome to the 31 Days of Halloween - DAY 15

 

For the better part of 2024, I have been anxiously trying to get to my Cloud backup, where I put ALL of my photos and digital stamps from my old laptop. We're talking pictures of family vacations, weddings, when my husband was alive; images from years of designing for teams on blogger; every scrapbook page I created on my own and at several scrap meets. I was frantic, not getting any response from the host except the message "we no longer support this version of...".

Just a month ago, I found a way to get in, and there everything was!! My most precious memories, a history of my growth as an artist, and all the images I collected and bought and received. And the first thing I did was buy a 128 GB flash drive. I am still in the process of copying EVERYTHING onto that drive. I don't think I can ever trust the cloud again...

My project today is a Design Team make for Halloween & Other Occasions All Year 'round.  I used an image from my "once lost but now found" inventory of digital images from Bugaboo Stamps. It's part of a series, and this one is called "the chosen one". I colored him with Copics and fussy-cut him out to place him into the scene, which is a cool and creepy  paper from Rucola Designs via Mischief Circus (from her Dead or Alive Series).

The paper is leftover from a DCWV stack, as well the assorted stickers. The spider web is a tiny piece of lace I cut off a larger piece. The crow is a silhouette from Google free clipart, and I printed my greeting in Algerian font.

I don't make a lot of Halloween cards as I don't send them out, but I often bring a handmade treat or gift to a neighbor during the holidays - any holidays!! LOL

Challenges I am Entering:

Shopping our Stash - Halloween

Try It on Tuesday - Halloween

 

Make My Monday - Kid-Friendly card

Two Old Bats Halloween - Halloween

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...

welcome to the 31 Days of Halloween - DAY 8

 

I went to one of Amazon's reject stores, this one called Arlington Heights Treasure Chest. It's where Amazon dumps a lot of their returns and sometimes defective or "missing pieces/parts" items. They rotate every 7 days, where Thursday is their RESTOCK day. Then the prices stat high and by Wednesday items are $1 each. I've gone twice, once on a Monday and once on a big bargain Wednesday. 

I picked up a closed package for a buck and didn't open it until I got home. Sometimes you can open the packages. Often they're already opened. If you're lucky you can even test them before you buy. I got lucky that Wednesday. When I opened my box, I found a dozen witch's hats -- for $1! I immediately wanted to string them up to add to this year's decorations.

It took a plastic needle, invisible fishing line and large paperclips before I had my line of Halloween hats to hang outside. 

Chicago being the kind of city where the weather is full of surprises right up to the day of Halloween, I plan to put these up only a few days before trick-or-treating starts. Nothing worse than a wet witch's hat (except a wet witch...).

Welcome to 31 Days of Halloween - DAY 5

 

Are you hosting a Halloween party? I love a good costume party. The last one I hosted featured a toilet boiling over with smoke from Hell, a buffet of body part foods, music, dancing and a scavenger hunt (never again, we lost 2 couples during the hunt).

Our house was decked out from bathroom to bedroom, family room to kitchen. It helps to have creative serving dishes to offer creepily delicious treats to your guests. Like my cupcake/treats tower shown above. Can you believe it started out Barbie pink?!

I spayed painted my tower black. After drying I used a box of thin plastic bats in various sizes along the lowest tier's edge. I adhered larger bats to the top. You can fill it with cupcakes, but I like to put various treats like nuts, chex mix, popcorn, etc. in cupcake liners for guests to carry around and munch on. You can even hollow out real mini pumpkins, line the insides and fill with whatever snack you want (you can also use plastic pumpkins for the same ghoulish look).

I love this holiday season! So many entertaining ideas to get into the spirit of the occasion!! 

Welcome to 31 Days of Halloween - DAY 2

 

Last year I found a bundle of dream catchers for a steal at a thrift store. This year I put one of them to good use. I first sprayed it with black spray paint, including the outer rim. I pulled out three large black flowers and covered the middle of each with a plastic skull. Before adhering the flowers to the catcher, I slipped a Fall leaf behind each black bloom. After gluing on the sparkly orange bow, I decided it needed something extra. I rummaged around my button jar and pulled out several stars and ghosts and glued each onto the "web" part of the dream catcher. I added a tiny skull to the bow and now I have a Nightmare Catcher for Halloween this year! 

Do you dream in color or black & white? The first time I realized I dreamt in color was when I woke up remembering my dream of bright billowing purple smoke coming out of the fireplace (which I don't have, by the way). Ever since then, I've tried to pay more attention, but most mornings I forget my dreams very quickly.

CHALLENGES I AM ENTERING:

Unicorn Challenges - Autumn or Halloween

Halloween & Other Occasions Craft all year 'round - themed card or craft

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 22 - Cute Halloween Kitchen Scrubbie

 

Today I created a kitchen scrubbie with a Halloween theme. When I was younger, my Gram taught me to crochet. I dusted off this talent from the deep dark corners of my memory, using orange and black netting, or tulle that I had bought over a year ago. Using single and double crochet stitches, I formed a (round) pumpkin shape. I added more black to turn the pumpkin into a Jack-o-lantern.

These scrubbies are great to use on non-stick pans, as they won't damage the coating on the pans. I sold some at a craft fair this Spring, and those who received one as a gift are avid fans of their strength and usefulness. In fact, my nephew snagged a couple more to replace the ones he had.  I had made another one without the face (but my nephew took that one).

I think I'll make a few Christmas-colored ones for stocking stuffers this year...

CHALLENGES I AM ENTWERING

Everybody Art - Pumpkin

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

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

All Dressed Up at Your Scrapbook Place

A new month brings a new challenge at Your Scrapbook Place. The theme is always Anything Goes, and this month the guest sponsor is All Dressed Up. I used a digi image called Time to Celebrate. I think the sentiment is perfect, don't you? BTW, if you get a chance, try some Barefoot Bubbly. My fave cheap champagne to serve at girls' day in. Yum!
My card is filled with die-cuts and jewels. I found a baggie with them in it, as well as the gold and black paper, and ran with it. How about you? Do you have any mystery bags in your craft area? I'm doing a clean-out (again) and am finding all kinds of goodies. You never know what you might have forgotten...
Meanwhile, you have all month to create and link up your project at Your Scrapbook Place for your chance to win prizes from the Guest sponsor, All Dressed Up.

Silver & Gold & Metallics Line the Path of Positivity Challenge Blog

Finishing this year's theme collection of COLORS, the Path of Positivity challenge blog asks for projects using any kind of METALLICS - gold, silver, copper, aluminum, metallic gel gen, glitter, charms - whatever media your Muse inspires you to create with. It's an optional theme, but if your project follows this theme with a healthy amount of metal featured, your entry will be eligible for the Most Inspirational prize from Sparkle n Sprinkle, the guest sponsor this month.

I used a digi image from Sparkle n Sprinkle called Flower Silhouette with a gold and silver color combo. This combo runs through my background papers as well as in my flower blossoms. Then I spritzed on some Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist for an overall shimmer.
I dug into my jewelry and metal stash and was able to embellish each flower as well as a few butterflies and even the Happy Birthday greeting. To enhance the jewelry bits, I adhered a little fine crystal glitter from Stampin Up.

As I draw near to the end of the year, I am seeing a difference in my crafting stash. My paper has been reduced by about 20%, and my holiday stash is half what it used to be! This has been an ongoing goal, one which has kept me from having the time of my life in stores like Michael's and Hobby Lobby. Sigh! But I am seeing a light at the end of the paper crafting tunnel.

I really like the way my birthday card turned out. The inside's sentiment reads: "May your birthday bloom with wonderful surprises" I know so many people whose birthdays fall in December, this card is completed just in time for a special friend.

Back to the challenge at the Path of Positivity. while the theme is optional, ALL projects must be positive, encouraging or affirming in some way. Lord knows we need all the support from each other that we can get - am I right? So you have until the end of the year (boy, that sounds so weird to write out) to create and get your projects linked up to the Path of Positivity challenge blog for your chance to win some awesome prizes from Sparkle n Sprinkle. I can't wait to see what you come up with!! See you on the Path!!

Challenges I am Entering:

CAS-ual Fridays - Shades of Gold

Pattie's Creation Designs - Birthday

Classic Design Team - Anything Goes

Oddball Art - AG w/optional Holiday Haunts & Silly Stripes

Sparkle n Sprinkle - AG w/loose glitter, emb powder, etc

World Wide Open Design Team - AG/must be on DT

Anything Goes at Your Scrapbook Place Challenge Blog

Rick St. Dennis is one of my favorite artists, and I was so happy when I discovered that he was sponsoring August's challenge at Your Scrapbook Place. I chose to play with "Morning Goddess True Sexy." I have her in a few different poses as she is one of my favorite characters in Rick's Store. I love that Rick knows that sexy doesn't disappear with age, nor is it weighted down by shape.

As I promised at the beginning of the year, I am still attacking my craft stash. It doesn't look like I made a dent in it, but after using four layers of paper, I know that it is being reduced. I am also getting my supplies more organized, so that I can spend more time on designing and creating and less time looking for the supplies I need!

Your Scrapbook Place offers monthly challenges where the theme is always Anything Goes. So craft with love and link up your project for your chance to win a prize from our very special sponsor, Rick St. Dennis. Have fun!

Challenges I am Entering:

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper  - Anything w/Patterned Paper Goes

Create and Inspire - Anything Goes

Sheepski Designs - Favorite Things (Fave things I love to  create w/include lace, pearls & gold; fave things in the world are friends & family)

World Wide Open Challenge Blog - Anything DT Goes

Create & Makes - 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!