31 Days of All Hallows Eve - Day 15 - "Pumpkin Head's Morning After"

 

“Oof,” groaned Bonesy. He had just woken from a bad dream to an even worse nightmare. His skull ached. He was disoriented to find himself on the floor of some kind of attic. I must have walked out of the bar, he thought. But where was he? Well, he didn’t know where, but here he was, the morning after his Bachelor party, with a headache that was pounding his skull into pulp.

He managed to sit on a nearby pumpkin and shook his head. That was a mistake! He reached a bony hand up to his head and screeched in surprise. Something wasn’t right. His skull was huge and felt different. Fear ignited in him as he used both hands to feel where his skull should have been. It very definitely was different. He needed a mirror.

Finding the attic’s trap door, he gingerly took the stairs. Yes, definitely a barn as he suspected. Near the doors leading outside was a metal tub. He approached it with trepidation. What would his reflection show him?

“No. No! Not possible!” he moaned.

Instead of his exquisitely-shaped skull and chiseled jaw bone, he saw what his hands had warned him of. He had a pumpkin head!

“Impossible,” he shrieked.

Though it was hard to deny the reflection in the pan of water, he stumbled out of the barn into bright sunlight. The daylight burned his sockets. No, make that his triangular-shaped eye holes. It also warned him that night was over and he should be in bed until the moon rose.

With a start, he remembered where he was supposed to be--getting ready for his wedding. He was supposed to be in his comfortable nest of rotting leaves and rich soil, soon to be married to the love of his life, Ima Goner. He smiled at the thought, then had another thought (he wasn’t used to thinking so much).

“My head’s a pumpkin,” he whispered. What skeleton in her right mind (and skull) would marry someone with a pumpkin head, he thought.  Well he’d have to find out where he was to get to where he wanted to be. He began walking without direction, keeping his hand on his heavy head to hold it up.  

                                                      ...to be continued

Earlier this month I created this Pumpkin Head skeleton from leftover Halloween supplies. Today I adhered him to a pumpkin, used patterned paper (#16 from Rucola Designs from her Dead or Alive paper set) and placed several bottles of BOOze next to him. The story of his momentous morning after will be continued before the end of our Halloween celebration.

CHALLENGES I AM ENTERING:

 

Everything is Peachy Keen at Oddball Art Stamps

This month the optional theme at Oddball Art is Powdered Peach Scones.

I colored up an oldie but goodie from the Oddball Art Stamp Store. It's called Penelope Image #3. After using my Copics, I fussy-cut her off the page and onto my card base. I tried to incorporate as much peach as possible, although the challenge is Anything Goes. I found the very last of my small peach bows to add onto my border, and "highlighted" my doodles top and bottom with a light peach.
I love the sentiment I created using Flaemische Kansieschrift font.
I decided to give my sentiment a bit of a border with leftover trim, and my card is finished. This is just the beginning of the monthly challenge at Oddball Art Stamps by Lizzie Love. Did you know that if you sign up by email for her weekly newsletter, you'll get a free digi every Friday?! Everyone likes FREE, especially when it comes to Oddball Art images!
Happy crafting!

Challenges I am Entering:

Oddball Art June - AG w/optional Powdered Peach Scones pallette

Colour Crazy - Anything Goes

Creative Fingers - Anything Goes

Time Out - Photo Inspiration

Yum! Yum! Scribbles Deigns Challenges the Foodie in You!

This month Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog celebrates something we all can't live without -- FOOD! Crafters are asked to create a project featuring some kind of food (or drinks). My daughter works at a bakery called "Nothing Bundt Cakes". They literally sell Bundt cakes only, but they are SO,SO YUMMY, that we've both gained a few pounds here and there (and all over, so if you've lost weight, you know where to find it).
I played with a Scribbles Designs image called "Jujubes". It is a free image so click on the link to get your free image! Well, the candies looked liked the little "bundtini's" that the bakery sells, and I wanted to thank the owner, Cindi, so I made her a card with some of the cakes. Unfortunately, I kept messing up the still-wet white puffy paint I used to "frost" my bundtini's.
They say you should  learn something from every mistake you make, so I came up with a clever (I  think) pun for the sentiment:

"I'm no froster, bundt I can still..."

The inside reads:                                  "...give you Sweet Thanks"

By the way, the froster is "one who frosts the bundts". LOL And I sure made a mess of mine (good thing I'm not employed there).

I colored my image with Copics, framed it with a doily inked in SU Lemonade Yellow, adhered it with dimensional tape to leftover designer paper and added the pink flourish border because it reminded me of frosting. The first part of my sentiment and a single paper flower finishes off my card front.

Whether you create a card, altered art, or something else, don't forget to link it up to Scribbles designs Challenge Blog for your chance to win free digis from the Scribbles Store (and don't forget to grab some freebies while you're there).

Favoring the Feminine Is The Theme at Scribbles Designs

Tropical greetings to you all, crafters! I am building up my stash of Thank You cards and found the perfect image at the Scribbles Store. She's called Carrie Summer Diva and can be found HERE.

This month, the challenge theme over at Scribbles Designs is "Femme Fatale" so if you want a chance to win your choice of free digis at the Scribbles Store, create and link up a card featuring or geared toward women. I went with Carrie Summer Diva because I've been wishing I could hop on a plane and go south (way south). I need to feel sand between my toes and hear waves lapping at the shore. And now that I've finished my card, the call of the tropics is louder and much more clear. (sigh)

In the meantime, enjoy the Spring weather for those of you in the Northern hemisphere. For those of you down under, enjoy the Autumn in all its glory!

Challenges I am Entering:
 Crafts Galore Encore - Always Anything Goes
Crafty Girls Creations - Anything Goes
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenges - Anything Goes w/patterned paper
DigiStamps4Joy - Bright Colors
Love to Craft - Anything Goes
Naughty or Nice-  Choose a past challenge (Nice #15 Friend)

Ike's World Challenge Blog Springs Forward with a Photo Inspiration Theme

This month Ike's World Challenge blog is offering a photo inspiration theme. It is beautifully Springtime colored, which, after over another three inches of snow a few weeks ago in Chicago, is a sight for sore eyes.

I have pulled those welcoming colors from the photo into my own card, using one of Ike's FREEBIES on her cat-themed "Show Us Your Pussies" challenge blog. It's called "Smiling Cat", and I think it's adorable.

I colored her with Copics, then used a gel pen to draw some designs on her body. The background paper is from my stash, which means I have no idea where it came from, but it seems the perfect embodiment of Spring. A few well-placed embellishments and a bow finishes off my Springtime birthday card.

Now that I have a nice stash of get well cards, thanks to my card-swapping club, I'm trying to build up my birthday card pile. The next theme for the club is shaker cards. Don't be surprised if you see them on the blog soon...

Meanwhile, you have the whole month to create a Springtime card inspired by the photo above. Don't forget to link up what you created with Ike's World Challenge Blog. One lucky winner will receive a gift certificate to Ike's Art Shop. Good luck and happy crafting!

Challenges I am Entering:

Always Fun Challenges - Happy Birthday

Angie's Digital Stamps -Optional Buttons and/or Bows (I used both)

Creative Fingers - Anything Goes

A Gem of a Challenge - Female Birthday

Show Us Your Pussies - Anything CAT Goes

Loads of Fun at Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog

I am having such fun as Guest DT member at Scribbles Designs challenge blog this month. Today I created an easel card using both image and sentiment from Scribbles Designs.

The image is called Champagne Glasses and it is showcased on the front of my card. I love the sentiment on the inside, as I always seem to have an urge to jump onto a table and dance after sipping (a bottle of) champagne. Yes, I am that woman with the lampshade on her head, free from most inhibitions when I imbibe the bubbly! LOL And that is why you rarely see me imbibing!!

However, the card with its black and white patterned paper and beautiful images makes a great wedding or anniversary card. p.s. Don't you just love the sentiment I placed on the inner face of my card? Have you ever felt that kind of kiss? I have, and still do, with my hubby of almost 40 years. I am a lucky woman in many ways!

Meanwhile, hop on over to Scribbles Designs challenge blog for some amazing inspiration. Grab some images at Scribbles Store. Create with this month's theme and you have a chance at winning some awesome prizes.
Happy crafting!

Challenges I am Entering:
Paper Creator's Crafts - Must Be Love
World Wide open Design Team challenges - Anything Goes
Crafty Creations - Something to Eat or Drink
Inspiration Destination - Anything Goes
Stampin' Royalty - Sparkle & Shine
Crafty Gals Corner - Anything Goes
Unicorn Challenges - Lots of Love
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards - Anything Goes
As You Like It - Favorite Occasion & Why (anniversary-seems like there are so many broken relationships out there, it is truly a celebration when a couple can work through their differences,doubts and fears and keep the love burning)
Aud Sentiments challenges - Cute + Sentiment
Southern Girls challenges - Add a Little Sparkle

Holiday Baking with Lacy Sunshine at Craft Your Passion Challenge Blog

Chicago lived up to its reputation for fickle weather this weekend. After a very mild November, Bella blew in and dropped 8 inches onto my part of the northwest suburbs--which puts me into a holiday baking mood. And this gorgeous image from Lacy Sunshine, called Pinni Cookie Crumbler, carries my mood into my crafting.

My granddaughter was over this weekend, and we baked a few goodies for our Confirmation Bake Sale. The 8th graders bake for and work the weekend-long sale, and the monies go toward a Christmas Party they host for families in the New Hope Program of Catholic Charities. This is our 8th Annual bake sale and Christmas party, and in Chicago we don't let a little snow get in the way of going to church and supporting our students.

Lacy Sunshine is this week's sponsor over at Craft Your Passion challenge blog, and I used Pinni Cookie Crumbler on a side-step card. I just love the presentation a step card makes! And every bit of my card except for my image comes from last year's holiday crafting leftovers!!
The weekly challenge starts today, so go visit Craft Your Passion for some inspiration, then link up your own Anything Goes project for your chance to win prizes.
And as always, crafters, have fun!

Challenges I am Entering:
Lacy Sunshine challenges - Anything Goes

Crafty Friends challenges - One for the Girls

Alphabet challenges - T is for 'tis the season (tis the season for baking holiday cookies)

Digitally Sweet challenges - All about the Title

Jingle Belles - Holiday leftovers

Cardz 4 Galz - Favorite Christmas Color combo (red & green)

If You Give a Crafter a Cookie - Photo inspiration (I used the color combo)

Christmas in Two Colors! New Challenge at the Outlawz Monday Greetings!

Time for a new challenge at the Outlawz Mondays Greetings blog, and the theme this week is Christmas in 2 Colors. I went with the traditional colors of the holiday, Red & Green. My image is called Stardust Enchantress. After coloring her with Copics, I added some shimmer with metallic gel pens and framed her. This pretty little Winter image is from this week's sponsor, LACY SUNSHINE.

My card base is from a pack of plain Christmas cards from the local thrift store for 50 cents. The only thing good about them is the greeting inside, so they make a great base for my handmade cards. To give it more color, I inked the edges before popping on a festive paint strip in shades of green. I hid the unpainted strips with pieces of leftover Christmas ribbon.
I embellished simply with glittered snowflakes that look enough like stars to me; a small ribbon bow, and a mid-sized flower just because!
You have one week to create and link up with the Outlawz Monday Greetings challenge. Let's see what you can create for Christmas in just two colors!! And as always, crafters, have fun!!

Challenges I am Entering:

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas challenges - Things with Wings

Brown Sugar challenges - Anything Goes

Creative Fingers challenges - Anything Goes

Simply Papercrafts - Anything Goes

A Sweet Image from Sweet Pea

This little sweetie from Sweet Pea Stamps is from artist Lynne Stansbery. She is free this month at the Progressive challenge over at the Sweet Pea Fan Page on Facebook.  Their challenges are progressive, in which you can create a project using any Sweet Pea stamp or image; participants will receive a Sweet Pea image for free for the second part.
Here is my project. I used the sentiment that came with the image, and left the inside blank. I will probably make it a Thank You card as I seem to need them often enough. The face of the image really draws me back time and time again. I just love the expression on my image's face! It's a sort of shy delight she's showing. Lynne's images are very realistic-she's always been a favorite artist of mine, and I hope you think so too! You can find more of her images at the Sweet Pea Store.

Challenges I am Entering:

Stamping Sensations - Pretty in Pink

Chocolate, Coffee & Cards - Use a Die

Crafty Catz - It's a Girl Thing
Polkadoodles challenges - Pink & Pretty

Getting Edgy Over at Squigglefly

What a fantastic month Squigglelfy has for you!  First, there are three new artists making their debut in July.   They are Tam Hess, Norma Burnell, and Angela Charles. Each of them have their own unique style. I got to play with a digi image called Forest Fairy from Norma Burnell.

Second, the Squigglelfy challenge this week is "Over the Edge," which means to let your image extend past the edges of your project. I made a "potted flower" from a wooden block. It started life as one of those photo holders, but I didn't like the photos I had already printed up, so I glued a beautiful cream-colored rose to the post.

I colored Forest Fairy with my trusty Copics, and popped her onto my block after painting it with acrylics. I adhered washi tape to the bottom, all around the block, so to speak. I added a few sequins for sparkle and my front was complete.

Here's another view of the block, this one from the side. I decided it needed a sentiment, and I had the perfect one in my stickers stash.  It reads: "Hold a true friend in both hands."

For more inspiration with Squigglefly's July releases, check out the challenge blog. If you really need to get your mojo on, go have a look-see at what our new DT member, Jen Leeflang, has created. Jen's blog is http://jencraftsa.blogspot.com.